On Sun, 2005-07-24 at 23:45 -0700, Stephane Glondu wrote:

> It would surely be interesting. But now, we have moved from "using 
> Obj.magic for better efficiency" to "modifying to collector"...

Well, basically the real topic is how to implement variable
length arrays. This is easy enough in C and C++: why should
it be very hard or even impossible in Ocaml?

> > However that turned what in C is a trivial set of
> > library functions into a complex unreliable mess
> > and left me wondering whether the encoding was
> > properly transparent.
> 
> I agree that strongly-typedness makes things more intricate sometimes, but 
> it will not make me prefer C... :-)

I agree, but C++ has stronger array typing than Ocaml,
so this is the wrong place to make such an argument :)

The language requirements with respect to initialisation
are the difference: Ocaml requires all store to be
initialised, C/C++ does not. 

> BTW, for some purposes can also use another datatype such as a Map or a 
> Set. They do not involve such problems, are quite efficient, and more 
> enjoyable than in C...

Yes sometimes: I just don't like not having a choice.

-- 
John Skaller <skaller at users dot sourceforge dot net>