[Caml-list] A question about "8.9 First-class modules -> Advanced examples" section of the reference manual

[Evgeny Roubinchtein <zhenya1007@gmail.com>]

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Dear OCaml users and developers,

I find the "Advanced examples" sub-section of the "First-class modules"
section in the reference manual (
http://caml.inria.fr/pub/docs/manual-ocaml/extn.html#sec244) to be a bit
short on motivation.

I appreciate that it may be, "possible to parametrize some code over the
implementation of a module without using a functor", but I am having
trouble imagining why one would want to do such a thing.  Also, the
"without using a functor" part comes across (to me) as a bit hollow, given
that the example provided _does_ in fact use [Set.Make] functor: it just
hides the invocation of that functor inside the definition of the
[make_set] function, so it reads (to me) like just a round-about way to
invoke the [Set.Make] functor.

Also, was a description of first-class modules in OCaml published in either
a paper or a thesis, or perhaps a journal article?

Thank you in advance!

-- 
Best,
Evgeny ("Zhenya")

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