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Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:54:02 -0800
From: Karl Zilles <zilles@1969.ws>
Organization: 1969 Communications,  Inc.
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Subject: Re: [Caml-list] open_file
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yjc01@doc.ic.ac.uk wrote:
> The code I came up with is as follows: 

I forgot to add, there is no reason to use a reference for buff:

> 
> open Unix;;
> 
> let file_reader = openfile "sudent.cd" [O_RDONLY] 0o640;;
> let buff = ref "empty";;

let buff = "empty";;

> 
> let main () =
>   let file_content = read file_reader !buff 1 5 in

let file_content = read file_reader buff 0 5 in

>   print_int file_content;
>   print_string !buff;;

print_string buff;;

> main ();

This is because you are actually writing directly on the string, so 
there is no need for indirection.