Teaching OCaml

#1

Post by lelf » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 6:39 PM UTC

Re: Teaching OCaml

#2

Post by mercurial » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:10 PM UTC

I think "all of Ocaml compiles to JS " is a bit optimistic. AFAIK, code using Jane Street's Core stdlib doesn't work. But a lot of Ocaml code should be fine.

Re: Teaching OCaml

#3

Post by hk__2 » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:13 PM UTC

> OCaml is a high-level language that supports […] object-oriented programming style

AFAIK OCaml only support records, which are like C’s structs.

Edit: no, it has real objects, as stated in comments below.

Re: Teaching OCaml

#4

Post by tel » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:18 PM UTC

hk__2 wrote: post #3

> OCaml is a high-level language that supports […] object-oriented programming style AFAIK OCaml only support records, which are like C’s structs. Edit: no, it has real objects, as stated in comments below.

Just looking at the table of contents here

http://caml.inria.fr/pub/docs/manual-ocaml/objectexamples.ht...

seems to state otherwise. That said, I think the common advice is to not use most of that and to restrict yourself to just records as they are almost always the better choice.

Re: Teaching OCaml

#5

Post by AceJohnny2 » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:20 PM UTC

In the "suggested textbooks" section, #3 is Real World OCaml which has Jason Hickey as an author and is available for free online, and #4 is Jason Hickey's notes for a course, is marked "Draft. Do No Redistribute", and at first glance its table of contents looks similar to Real World OCaml.

Isn't the latter redundant and in violation of whatever?

Re: Teaching OCaml

#6

Post by mjt0229 » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:25 PM UTC

hk__2 wrote: post #3

> OCaml is a high-level language that supports […] object-oriented programming style AFAIK OCaml only support records, which are like C’s structs. Edit: no, it has real objects, as stated in comments below.

OCaml has a sophisticated object system. See:

https://realworldocaml.org/v1/en/html/objects.html

You can do a lot of traditional 'OO'-style things with functors and modules, though, so you don't need objects necessarily to get a lot of OO features.

Re: Teaching OCaml

#7

Post by wk_end » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:27 PM UTC

hk__2 wrote: post #3

> OCaml is a high-level language that supports […] object-oriented programming style AFAIK OCaml only support records, which are like C’s structs. Edit: no, it has real objects, as stated in comments below.

OCaml is (somewhat unconventionally) object-oriented; it has classes, inheritance, what-have-you. The 'O' in the name stands for "objective". Perhaps you're thinking of SML?

See: http://caml.inria.fr/pub/docs/manual-ocaml-4.00/manual005.ht...

Re: Teaching OCaml

#8

Post by atestu » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:28 PM UTC

I'm surprised EPITA (France) is not on the school list. OCaml is the first language you learn there. Fantastic introduction to algorithms.

Re: Teaching OCaml

#9

Post by tolkienfanatic » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:33 PM UTC

Ah, CS 3110. The bane of every Cornell Comp Sci majors existence.

Re: Teaching OCaml

#10

Post by jlrubin » Thu, Nov 13, 2014, 7:36 PM UTC

mercurial wrote: post #2

I think "all of Ocaml compiles to JS " is a bit optimistic. AFAIK, code using Jane Street's Core stdlib doesn't work. But a lot of Ocaml code should be fine.

This is because Core relies on OS/FFI. I think as long as it isn't using OS/FFI it can compile, although I may be wrong on that count.