Format syntax extension

Format syntax extension

[Tiphaine Turpin]

Dear list,

I'm pleased to announce the first release of the Format syntax extension
for Ocaml:
https://forge.ocamlcore.org/frs/download.php/360/format-1.0.tar.bz2.

Format is basically a quotation-style printf, i.e., it defines
quotations for building strings and writing to buffers, channels, and
formatters, with data being inserted through antiquotations rather than
subsequent arguments. Here is a list of features:

- Format can be used to write to strings, buffers, channels, and (with a
limited efficiency) formatters.
- Format expressions are (mostly) compiled rather than interpreted (less
overhead).
- All Printf formatting instructions are supported, except %a (but %t
seems more natural in this setting anyway).
- Conditionals and iteration are available.
- Type errors are more readable than with printf.
- Errors should be correctly located (both in formats and inside
anti-quotations).
- Also works with Ocaml Batteries  with out_channel -> 'a IO.output (no
integration with the "prefixes" of batteries).

Tiphaine Turpin