Re: [Caml-list] Re: camlp4 on Debian lenny

[Richard Jones <rich@annexia.org>]

On Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 02:56:27PM +0100, Oliver Bandel wrote:
> But in the case of camlp4 it looks like the bazaar.
> The regularity of the cathedral, as harsh as crisp as
> OCaml's type system I miss in the case of Camlp4. :(

OCaml 3.09        OCaml 3.10        OCaml 3.11 .....
  +                 +                 +
camlp4 -----+---> camlp4 was -----> camlp4 development --> "new" camlp4
             \    rewritten         continues
              \
               \
                \ not everyone agrees with
                  the rewrite, so old camlp4 -----> camlp5
                  development continues as
                  camlp5

All the distributions now ship OCaml, camlp4 and camlp5.  This means
you can continue to compile and use pre-3.10 software which relies on
the old camlp4 (now called camlp5).  Or you can use the new camlp4
which has some nice bits (like Reflective OCaml and the "scrap your
boilerplate" stuff).

The worst thing is the lack of good documentation for camlp4.  The
wiki is a good start (http://brion.inria.fr/gallium/index.php/Camlp4).

I've said it before, there's a good book's worth of material in this
subject.

If you prefer looking at code, then take a look at:

http://code.google.com/p/bitstring/         (camlp4)
http://merjis.com/developers/pgocaml        (camlp4)
http://alain.frisch.fr/soft#openin          (camlp4 & camlp5)
http://martin.jambon.free.fr/micmatch.html  (camlp5 & camlp4)
http://martin.jambon.free.fr/extend-ocaml-syntax.html  (camlp5)

Actually, there's loads more projects here ...
http://caml.inria.fr/cgi-bin/hump.en.cgi?sort=0&browse=92

Rich.

-- 
Richard Jones
Red Hat