View Source: ML - Waikato Linux Users Group

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__ML__ is a family of StaticallyTyped functional ProgrammingLanguage~s with StrictEvaluation, PolymorphicTypes, HigherOrderFunctions, a higher-order module system. [ML] can be used interactively for learning, experimentation and testing, or it can be compiled. The two major dialects of [ML] are [OCaml] and [SML]. [SML] is a standardised language with several implementations. [OCaml] has a single OpenSource implementation, it extends [ML] with an [OOP] system. Both major dialects have compilers that produce native code that rival the speed of [C++], and extensive standard and third-party libraries.

[Why YOU want to program in ML | http://www.schizomaniac.net/ml.html] gives you a tour of the features of [ML] that make it a good general-purpose programming language. It talks about [SML], but what it says applies to [OCaml] as well.

!!!An example of [ML] code:

<pre>
__fun__ interpret_functionally (program : opcode list) : unit =
  (* Interprets a parsed [Brainf*ck] program using integers
     on a strip of TuringMachine tape as the memory. *)
  __let__
    __val__ fresh_tape = Tape.make(0)
    __fun__ step (tape, op) =
      __let__ byte = Tape.read(tape) __in__
        __case__ op __of__
          Inc_ptr n => times(n, Tape.forward, tape)
        | Dec_ptr n => times(n, Tape.back, tape)
        | Inc_byte n => Tape.write(byte + n, tape)
        | Dec_byte n => Tape.write(byte - n, tape)
        | Putchar => ( putchar(byte) ; tape )
        | Getchar => Tape.write(getchar(), tape)
        | Loop body =>
            __if__ byte = 0 __then__ tape
            __else__ step (step_sequence (tape, body), op)
      __end__
    __fun__ step_sequence (tape, oplist) =
      List.foldl(step, tape, oplist)
  __in__
    ignore (step_sequence(fresh_tape, program))
  __end__
</pre>

(This is in [SML].)

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CategoryProgrammingLanguages, CategoryFunctionalProgrammingLanguages
8 pages link to ML:
Last edited on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 1:13:56 am by AristotlePagaltzis
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