[Caml-list] Ocaml compiler documentation

[Yotam Barnoy <yotambarnoy@gmail.com>]

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Hi everybody

It's been mentioned before that the OCaml compiler's documentation is
somewhat lacking. I've been going over the compiler code gradually (both
the frontend and the backend) and while some parts are understandable
enough, others are missing some basic explanations. Some explanations are
also spread out throughout the codebase, making it hard to know what
something means unless you've read another part of the codebase that
relates to it.

Since the call to submit documentation commits has gone mostly unanswered,
I'd like to suggest a method of making both my own progress through the
code easier and hopefully making it easier for others who will follow.

What I'm going to do is, focusing on more or less one file at a time, I'll
post newbie questions to the list about the code. Once I'm satisfied that I
have a good enough understanding, I'll add comments to the aforementioned
files and submit pull requests for them. I also encourage others to do the
same.

What I need from the list, and especially from the more knowledgeable
members (who already know the compiler code) is the willingness to explain
the concepts and answer my questions, annoying as they may be. I have a
pretty decent background in compilers, ASTs, code generation, etc, but not
so much in type inference.

I'm not suggesting a particular timeframe for this process -- I'm doing
this on the side while working on a research project and TAing, but I
really would like to get to the point where I can make significant
contributions to the toolchain, and if I can help others who follow in my
footsteps, then that's a nice bonus.

While I could have skipped this introduction and just proceeded with
inundating the list with questions, I felt that this (hopefully) gives a
purpose and perhaps motivation for those who have the answers to answer my
questions even if they get annoying. In particular, I may often miss some
parts that may seem obvious because I don't necessarily have the time to
read all the connected code in depth. Hopefully you'll bear with me.

Does this sound reasonable to the fine folks on the list?

Yotam

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