intro-to-clojure

Companion repo for "A Taste of Clojure - Intro to Clojure" Mob Programming Sessions

A Taste of Clojure 🍒

Welcome to the official exercises for the A Taste of Clojure: Intro to Clojure Mob Programming Session. This repo is designed to help experienced developers new to Clojure explore its syntax, REPL workflow, and core concepts through hands-on exercises.

🧠 Learning Goals

By the end of this session, you'll be able to:

• Use the REPL to experiment with Clojure interactively
• Read and write basic Clojure syntax (prefix notation, data literals)
• Understand the power of data-driven design and immutability
• Manipulate collections with pure functions (map, filter, reduce)
• Write and compose simple Clojure functions
• Begin to feel the joy of programming in a functional style ✨

🛠️ Requirements

• VSCode + Calva
• Basic command line/git experience
• Comfort with programming in any language (JavaScript, Python, Java, etc.)

🚀 Getting Started

1. Clone this repo:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/taste-of-clojure-exercises.git
cd taste-of-clojure-exercises

2. Open in VSCode and make sure Calva is installed.

3. Start a REPL via Calva:

   • Cmd + Shift + P → "Start REPL and connect"
   • Choose "Create a new project REPL"

4. Explore taste-of-clojure/core.clj

   • Use the REPL to evaluate each block interactively.
   • Take turns driving if you're in a mob session!

🧪 Exercises Included

• REPL Warmup: Simple expressions and function definitions
• Data Manipulation: Playing with vectors and maps
• Mini Project: Build a simple TODO list tracker
• Bonus: Manipulating nested data structures

👥 Mob Programming Tips

• Rotate every 5–10 minutes
• Use the driver/navigator pairing
• Be curious and kind — Clojure is different, and that’s the point!

📚 Additional Resources

• Clojure for the Brave and True
• ClojureDocs
• Calva Documentation
• Learn Clojure in Your Browser
• Join the Clojure Slack ;; expires on april 30 2025

---

Made with 💜 by the Clojure community. Enjoy the ride!