[HN Gopher] Comparing OCaml and Standard ML (2008)
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       Comparing OCaml and Standard ML (2008)
        
       Author : nequo
       Score  : 38 points
       Date   : 2024-06-17 01:07 UTC (21 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (adam.chlipala.net)
 (TXT) w3m dump (adam.chlipala.net)
        
       | dang wrote:
       | Related:
       | 
       |  _Comparing OCaml and Standard ML_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8497214 - Oct 2014 (68
       | comments)
       | 
       |  _Comparing Standard ML and OCaml_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4391937 - Aug 2012 (20
       | comments)
        
         | Jtsummers wrote:
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34805229 - Feb 15, 2023,
         | 47 comments
         | 
         | Spells out the "O" in OCaml as "Objective", so it doesn't turn
         | up in the "past" list.
        
       | Taikonerd wrote:
       | OCaml makes so much sense to me -- it's just a shame that the
       | syntax has some weird decisions. For example, an array is:
       | let arr = [| 1; 2; 3 |];;
       | 
       | instead of something like                   let arr = [1, 2, 3];
       | 
       | I wish ReasonML (https://reasonml.github.io/) would come back --
       | it's a new syntax for the same language, kind of the same
       | relationship Elixir has to Erlang.
        
         | wk_end wrote:
         | Reason never went anywhere. And, like Ocaml, its array syntax
         | has pipes in it (and like Ocaml, the pipeless version makes a
         | list).
         | 
         | I think you're doing Elixir a bit of a disservice by that
         | comparison, though - Elixir is very much its own language on
         | the Erlang platform, whereas Reason really is pretty much just
         | an alternate syntax.
         | 
         | That said, one of the big problems with Ocaml is that the
         | ecosystem is so fragmented; I don't think Reason really adds
         | much (at least if you're not using with JSX) to make it
         | worthwhile and I'm kind of mad that it exists.
        
         | steinuil wrote:
         | dune supports Reason syntax out of the box, you just have to
         | change the file extension to .re.
         | 
         | https://dune.readthedocs.io/en/stable/reference/dune-project...
        
         | speed_spread wrote:
         | There's also F# if you're looking for an OCaml with better
         | syntax.
        
           | wk_end wrote:
           | F#, for better or for worse, is missing some of the things
           | that make OCaml really interesting - the powerful module
           | system and the structurally typed object system.
           | 
           | It does have its own neat features, though. Not to mention
           | access to the .NET ecosystem, of course.
        
       | NikkiA wrote:
       | Ah, it's time for my every-two-monthly check to see if Ocaml is
       | treated like it's still usable on windows...
       | 
       | Nope, and now they've even removed the 'it'll be a first class
       | target when we've finished rewriting OPAM' promise that was there
       | for 3+ years, that's not good.
        
         | nequo wrote:
         | There's a working group that just formed to improve OCaml's
         | Windows support:
         | 
         | https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/ocaml-windows-working-group/1475...
        
         | tpetr wrote:
         | Agree it's taken a long time but have you seen
         | https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/ann-opam-2-2-0-beta3/14772 ?
        
           | NikkiA wrote:
           | I hadn't, no. As I said I nominally just check every couple
           | of months if support has been moved to Tier 1.
           | 
           | That OPAM 2.2 is actually nearing release is good news. I'll
           | keep a more vigilant eye on it for the next month or two.
           | 
           | Ironically, I can't even remember what v5 feature it was that
           | was a deal breaker (to not have) anymore, anyway.
        
       | chipsdip wrote:
       | F# bro
        
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