Local definitions

[Anton Moscal <msk@post.tepkom.ru>]

Hello!

Why CaML doesn't not allow the following style of local definitions:

declare
   <definition> ...
in
   <expression>

with following translation:

let module Temp = struct 
  <definition>... 
  let result = <expression> 
end in
  Temp.result

or, the second variant: simply allow declaration of
types, exceptions, open statements and others in "let-in"
expressions with the same translation:

let find x vec =
  let exception Return of int in
  try 
    Array.iteri (fun i elem -> if elem = x then raise (Return i)) vec;
    None
  with
    Return i -> Some i
  
can be translated as:

let find x vec =
  let module T = struct
    exception Return of int
    let res = 
      try 
	Array.iteri (fun i elem -> if elem = x then raise (Return i)) vec;
	None
      with
	Return i -> Some i
  end in T.res


This syntax allow more convenient notation for local types,
classes, exceptions and others definitions, than explicit usage of 
local modules.

Anton E. Moscal   msk@vvv.niimm.spb.ru