Re: [Caml-list] OCaml 3.12.0+beta1

[Florent.Ouchet@imag.fr]

Martin Jambon <martin.jambon@ens-lyon.org> a écrit :
> I disagree.  The syntax is a new and optional feature.  Authors who  
> want their
> new code to compile with an earlier version of OCaml should simply  
> avoid using
> the new feature, as always.

The 3.12 version number is just minor increment. It should keep  
backward compatibility with the 3.x branch as much as possible.

> Finally we'll be able to use pattern matching on records for real and it's
> really cool.  That means we can use records where we used to prefer tuples,
> typically on things like tree nodes.  It will make it easier to add fields
> when the code evolves, compared to tuples.

Yes, this feature is cool. We agree on this point. However not all  
systems will be updated to 3.12 as soon as the final version is out.  
Most users rely on their linux distribution ocaml (Debian stable is  
still stuck at 3.10 for instance).

For syntax sugar extensions, such as { loc; name; _ }, your "don't use  
it" conclusion can be understood. But for code stabilization syntax  
extensions, such as { ... ; _ }, it's an other story. Users stuck with  
more stable versions of the compiler should be able to use more stable  
versions of software compiled with it.

- Florent