Re: [Caml-list] On bashing the OCaml-car...

[Adrien <camaradetux@gmail.com>]

> > My point is simply that the OP is right: Ocaml has a rather
> > convoluted and complex syntax that is hard to grasp.
>
> It has a steep learning curve, yes.
> At least for non-FP-programmers.

I have to say that French student in Mathematics are learning OCaml
(in fact caml light but it is somehow ... the same). Of course there
is the mathematical aspect but also that its syntax is simple and the
rules are precise. That makes it easier to learn but as you
mentionned, "At least for non-FP-programmers", though in fact I
personnaly started with C but I'm not the only person out there.


> > Many people think functional programming is hard to learn,
> > contrarily, I think it is quite easy and takes about 1 hour,
> > since any programmer already knows it (though perhaps not
> > indepth techniques). When I first started using Ocaml I had
> > no problem with the functional programming aspect .. it was the
> > syntax I had problems with .. and clearly still do.
>
> I'm not quite sure, if it was the syntax also,
> but as far as I remember, as FP was new to me, this
> also was not so easy. I didn't found scheme much easier
> to learn, even if the syntax was easier.
>
> But maybe I have a different view, coming from mostly C and Perl.
> (But compared to Haskell, I found some aspects of OCaml much easier!)

OCaml and FP in general is probably easy only for people with a
mathematical background even if pointers and not being able to pass a
function as a parameter just like one passes a value can actually slow
courses as it needs more explanations.
In fact I think I'll force some friends to follow an ocaml course by
me to check that. =P

And for the rest, I'd say I'm not qualified. =P