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Message-ID: <3469D664.905BB6EF@cal.enst.fr>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 17:16:36 +0100
From: Michel Quercia <quercia@cal.enst.fr>
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To: Simon Helsen <helsen@informatik.uni-tuebing.de>,
        Caml Mailing-list
    <caml-list@inria.fr>
Subject: Re: recursive datatypes
References: <Pine.A32.3.96.971111174455.16668X-100000@meijin>
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Simon Helsen wrote:

> Why does Caml type-check the following program? It wouldn't in Standard ML
> and I don't see the use for it, as it may lead to infinite programs...
>
> (I don't have a french keyboard)
>
> Pourquoi est le programme ci-desous bon type ? C'est ne pas le
> cas en Standard ML et je ne comprend pas l'usage pour ca parce que le
> programme peut eventuellement cours a l'infini...
>
> type 'a tree = Tree of 'a
>
> let f x = Tree (f x)
>

Hi,

Your code does'nt typecheck with both camllight  0.73 and ocaml 1.05.

With ocaml1.05, the following code does typecheck :

----------------------------------------
        Objective Caml version 1.05

# type 'a tree = Tree of 'a;;
type 'a tree = | Tree of 'a
# let f x = Tree (f x);;
Unbound value f
# let rec f x = Tree (f x);;
val f : 'a -> ('b tree as 'b) = <fun>
# f(3);;
Out of memory during evaluation
#
---------------------------------------

I can't explain the "('b tree as 'b)", but why your post is entitled
"recursive datatypes" ?
Did you mean :

type 'a tree = Tree of 'a tree ?

This type declaration is accepted and it is possible to build 'a tree objects
:


--------------------------------------

# type 'a tree = Tree of 'a tree;;
type 'a tree = | Tree of 'a tree
# #print_depth 5;;
# let rec x = Tree(y) and y = Tree(x);;
val x : 'a tree = Tree (Tree (Tree (Tree (Tree (Tree ...)))))
val y : 'a tree = Tree (Tree (Tree (Tree (Tree (Tree ...)))))
-------------------------------------

--
Michel Quercia
Lycee Carnot  16 bd Thiers  21000 Dijon
mailto:quercia@cal.enst.fr