From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.3 (2006-06-01) on yquem.inria.fr X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.2 required=5.0 tests=AWL autolearn=disabled version=3.1.3 Received: from discorde.inria.fr (discorde.inria.fr [192.93.2.38]) by yquem.inria.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1B21BBC0A for ; Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:18:52 +0100 (CET) Received: from host15.ipowerweb.com (host15.ipowerweb.com [66.235.219.115]) by discorde.inria.fr (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id kBL9Iojl024014 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA bits=168 verify=NO) for ; Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:18:51 +0100 Received: from c-24-9-123-251.hsd1.co.comcast.net ([24.9.123.251] helo=apotheon.com) by host15.ipowerweb.com with esmtp (Exim 4.52) id 1GxK4Y-0003Ui-Q4; Thu, 21 Dec 2006 01:18:43 -0800 Received: by apotheon.com (Postfix, from userid 1000) id 405ED333CC; Thu, 21 Dec 2006 02:18:24 -0700 (MST) Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 02:18:24 -0700 From: Chad Perrin To: skaller Cc: Erik de Castro Lopo , caml-list@inria.fr Subject: Re: [Caml-list] Scripting in ocaml Message-ID: <20061221091824.GF2565@apotheon.com> References: <6dbd4d000612201941wcd4b09anc503a13889576512@mail.gmail.com> <20061221153413.8f99e8ed.mle+ocaml@mega-nerd.com> <1166685756.5337.4.camel@rosella.wigram> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <1166685756.5337.4.camel@rosella.wigram> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.13 (2006-08-11) X-Antivirus-Scanner: Clean mail though you should still use an Antivirus X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - host15.ipowerweb.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - inria.fr X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - apotheon.com X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: X-Miltered: at discorde with ID 458A517A.000 by Joe's j-chkmail (http://j-chkmail . ensmp . fr)! X-Spam: no; 0.00; ocaml:01 ocaml:01 bytecode:01 syntax:01 syntax:01 cetera:98 inventions:98 wrote:01 typing:01 typing:01 caml-list:01 int:01 semantic:02 python:02 authors:02 On Thu, Dec 21, 2006 at 06:22:36PM +1100, skaller wrote: > > As one of the authors of several major pieces of Python, > my comment is that whilst it provides great convenience > and good code structure .. dynamic typing just doesn't > scale. > > The big problem using Ocaml (bytecode) for scripting > is probably the ugly dynamic loading support, and > for long running systems, the lack of unloading support. > (plus the syntax which isn't really well suited to small > scale scripting applications). Actually, I find that static typing is the biggest problem I have with administration script writing in OCaml. It can be great for bigger projects where dynamic typing doesn't always scale (as you mentioned), but for something under thirty lines of code (to pick a number out of thin air) the syntax requirements imposed by static typing and the semantic gymnastics that must sometimes be done (string_of_int, et cetera) can get in the way a bit. -- CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ] Ben Franklin: "As we enjoy great Advantages from the Inventions of others we should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any Invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously."