Ask Hackers: Opinions on OCaml?

Post by mfp » Sun, Feb 10, 2008, 12:41 AM UTC

rkts wrote: post #41

mdemare wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, here's the quote: "(Note, long after I wrote this entry: I think OCaml has some fairly fundamental problems that keep it from being a first choice for server-side development. If I were to use it for anything, it would be as a substitute for C++ in delivering client-side executable/GUI programs, e.g. for Windows systems. And I still think it's a really cool language.)" Anyone know what he's referring to?

He's criticized the lack of a generic print function, calling it "a face-smashing insult to usability." http://steve.yegge.googlepages.com/when-polymorphism-fails Note that like many of the alleged deficiencies of OCaml, this was a compromise for performance.

     type 'a tree = Leaf of 'a | Branch of 'a tree * 'a * 'a tree
	 deriving (Show)
     
     type point = { x : float; y : float }
	 deriving (Show)
     
     let points = Branch (Leaf {x=0.0;
				y=0.0;},
			  {x=2.0; y=2.0},
			  Branch (Leaf {x=1.0; y=1.0},
				  {x=1.0; y=0.0},
				  Leaf {x=0.0; y=1.0}))
    		      
    Show.show points
    =>
    "Branch
       (Leaf {x =0.; y =0.}, {x =2.; y =2.},
	Branch
	  (Leaf {x =1.; y =1.}, {x =1.; y =0.}, Leaf {x =0.; y =1.}))"