Add foldl and foldr aliases to Foldable

build.sbt

@@ -188,7 +188,14 @@ lazy val docSettings = Seq(
 lazy val binaryCompatibleVersion = "1.0.0-RC1"
 
 def mimaSettings(moduleName: String) = Seq(
-    mimaPreviousArtifacts :=  Set("org.typelevel" %% moduleName % binaryCompatibleVersion))
+  mimaPreviousArtifacts := Set("org.typelevel" %% moduleName % binaryCompatibleVersion),
+  // TODO: remove this post-release of 1.0.0
+  mimaBinaryIssueFilters += {
+    import com.typesafe.tools.mima.core._
+    import com.typesafe.tools.mima.core.ProblemFilters._
+    exclude[ReversedMissingMethodProblem]("cats.syntax.FoldableSyntax.catsSyntaxFoldOps")
+  }
+)
 
 lazy val docs = project
   .enablePlugins(MicrositesPlugin)

core/src/main/scala/cats/Foldable.scala

@@ -30,6 +30,27 @@ import simulacrum.typeclass
 
   /**
    * Left associative fold on 'F' using the function 'f'.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   * {{{
+   * scala> import cats.Foldable, cats.implicits._
+   * scala> val fa = Option(1)
+   *
+   * Folding by addition to zero:
+   * scala> Foldable[Option].foldLeft(fa, Option(0))((a, n) => a.map(_ + n))
+   * res0: Option[Int] = Some(1)
+   * }}}
+   *
+   * With syntax extensions, `foldLeft` can be used like:
+   * {{{
+   * Folding `Option` with addition from zero:
+   * scala> fa.foldLeft(Option(0))((a, n) => a.map(_ + n))
+   * res1: Option[Int] = Some(1)
+   *
+   * There's also an alias `foldl` which is equivalent:
+   * scala> fa.foldl(Option(0))((a, n) => a.map(_ + n))
+   * res2: Option[Int] = Some(1)
+   * }}}
    */
   def foldLeft[A, B](fa: F[A], b: B)(f: (B, A) => B): B
 
@@ -43,6 +64,32 @@ import simulacrum.typeclass
    *
    * For more detailed information about how this method works see the
    * documentation for `Eval[_]`.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   * {{{
+   * scala> import cats.Foldable, cats.Eval, cats.implicits._
+   * scala> val fa = Option(1)
+   *
+   * Folding by addition to zero:
+   * scala> val folded1 = Foldable[Option].foldRight(fa, Eval.now(0))((n, a) => a.map(_ + n))
+   * Since `foldRight` yields a lazy computation, we need to force it to inspect the result:
+   * scala> folded1.value
+   * res0: Int = 1
+   *
+   * With syntax extensions, we can write the same thing like this:
+   * scala> val folded2 = fa.foldRight(Eval.now(0))((n, a) => a.map(_ + n))
+   * scala> folded2.value
+   * res1: Int = 1
+   *
+   * Unfortunately, since `foldRight` is defined on many collections - this
+   * extension clashes with the operation defined in `Foldable`.
+   *
+   * To get past this and make sure you're getting the lazy `foldRight` defined
+   * in `Foldable`, there's an alias `foldr`:
+   * scala> val folded3 = fa.foldr(Eval.now(0))((n, a) => a.map(_ + n))
+   * scala> folded3.value
+   * res1: Int = 1
+   * }}}
    */
   def foldRight[A, B](fa: F[A], lb: Eval[B])(f: (A, Eval[B]) => Eval[B]): Eval[B]
 

core/src/main/scala/cats/syntax/foldable.scala

@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ package syntax
 trait FoldableSyntax extends Foldable.ToFoldableOps {
   implicit final def catsSyntaxNestedFoldable[F[_]: Foldable, G[_], A](fga: F[G[A]]): NestedFoldableOps[F, G, A] =
     new NestedFoldableOps[F, G, A](fga)
+
+  implicit final def catsSyntaxFoldOps[F[_]: Foldable, A](fa: F[A]): FoldableOps[F, A] =
+    new FoldableOps[F, A](fa)
 }
 
 final class NestedFoldableOps[F[_], G[_], A](val fga: F[G[A]]) extends AnyVal {
@@ -23,3 +26,11 @@ final class NestedFoldableOps[F[_], G[_], A](val fga: F[G[A]]) extends AnyVal {
    */
   def foldK(implicit F: Foldable[F], G: MonoidK[G]): G[A] = F.foldK(fga)
 }
+
+final class FoldableOps[F[_], A](val fa: F[A]) extends AnyVal {
+  def foldl[B](b: B)(f: (B, A) => B)(implicit F: Foldable[F]): B =
+    F.foldLeft(fa, b)(f)
+
+  def foldr[B](b: Eval[B])(f: (A, Eval[B]) => Eval[B])(implicit F: Foldable[F]): Eval[B] =
+    F.foldRight(fa, b)(f)
+}

tests/src/test/scala/cats/tests/SyntaxSuite.scala

@@ -103,10 +103,12 @@ object SyntaxSuite extends AllInstances with AllSyntax {
     val b = mock[B]
     val f1 = mock[(B, A) => B]
     val b0: B = fa.foldLeft(b)(f1)
+    val b1: B = fa.foldl(b)(f1)
     val a0: A = fa.fold
 
     val f2 = mock[(A, Eval[B]) => Eval[B]]
     val lb0: Eval[B] = fa.foldRight(Now(b))(f2)
+    val lb1: Eval[B] = fa.foldr(Now(b))(f2)
 
     val fz = mock[F[Z]]
     val f3 = mock[Z => A]