From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Original-To: caml-list@yquem.inria.fr Delivered-To: caml-list@yquem.inria.fr Received: from concorde.inria.fr (concorde.inria.fr [192.93.2.39]) by yquem.inria.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id B32ACBDCB for ; Wed, 7 Sep 2005 13:58:58 +0200 (CEST) Received: from pauillac.inria.fr (pauillac.inria.fr [128.93.11.35]) by concorde.inria.fr (8.13.0/8.13.0) with ESMTP id j87Bwwik015161 for ; Wed, 7 Sep 2005 13:58:58 +0200 Received: from nez-perce.inria.fr (nez-perce.inria.fr [192.93.2.78]) by pauillac.inria.fr (8.7.6/8.7.3) with ESMTP id NAA21363 for ; Wed, 7 Sep 2005 13:58:57 +0200 (MET DST) Received: from mz2.forethought.net (mzpi4.forethought.net [216.241.36.13]) by nez-perce.inria.fr (8.13.0/8.13.0) with ESMTP id j87BwuHD015245 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA bits=168 verify=NO) for ; Wed, 7 Sep 2005 13:58:57 +0200 Received: from [216.241.35.41] (helo=[10.0.0.2]) by mz2.forethought.net with esmtp (Exim 4.51) id 1ECyZq-0002ui-Mb for caml-list@inria.fr; Wed, 07 Sep 2005 05:58:54 -0600 Message-ID: <431ED5FD.5050100@havenrock.com> Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2005 05:58:53 -0600 From: Matt Gushee User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 (X11/20050108) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: caml-list@inria.fr Subject: Re: [Caml-list] The Caml morale crasher #1 References: <007f01c5af12$c10db3e0$bbe6f8c1@oemcomputer> In-Reply-To: <007f01c5af12$c10db3e0$bbe6f8c1@oemcomputer> X-Enigmail-Version: 0.86.1.0 X-Enigmail-Supports: pgp-inline, pgp-mime Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Miltered: at concorde with ID 431ED602.000 by Joe's j-chkmail (http://j-chkmail.ensmp.fr)! X-Miltered: at nez-perce with ID 431ED600.000 by Joe's j-chkmail (http://j-chkmail.ensmp.fr)! X-Spam: no; 0.00; caml-list:01 damien:01 ocaml:01 lambdas:01 higher-order:01 ocaml's:01 conformity:01 ocaml:01 ...:98 ...:98 wrote:01 functions:01 caml:02 variant:02 types:02 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.3 (2005-04-27) on yquem.inria.fr X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=disabled version=3.0.3 Damien Guichard wrote: > http://www.bytesmiths.com/Publications/9701ArchitectsVersusCoders.html Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with this site, but I will venture a comment anyway. Since I know nothing about your project, I can only respond in the most general terms. > When annoucing an OCaml project on a public forum i have been advised to > renunce lambdas because it would impede translation to "a less obscure, > more popular language". And I imagine the same people who said that would also advise you not to use higher-order functions and variant types. Just sacrifice some of OCaml's most powerful features for the sake of compatibility ... or perhaps we should say (social) conformity. It might be a useful tactic in some specific cases, but as a general principle, if you're going to do that, why bother with OCaml at all? Let's assume you had good reasons for choosing OCaml (people who use non-mainstream languages usually do). The question then is whether there is any practical need for the members of that forum to accept your methods. If so, then try again to make your case ... I'm sure there are people here who can suggest some "talking points." Otherwise, well, innovation has always met with resistance, and probably always will. Have confidence in your choices and forge ahead. Or give up. It's your choice. Best of luck with your project. -- Matt Gushee Englewood, CO, USA