Till Varoquaux wrote:
> I having typing issues with sprintf:
>
> # Printf.sprintf "%a";;
> - : (unit -> '_a -> string) -> '_a -> string = <fun>
>
> whereas:
>
> # Printf.printf "%a";;
> - : (out_channel -> '_a -> unit) -> '_a -> unit = <fun>
>
> Am I missing something out here? If not why can't sprintf accept the
> same printers as the other?

Probably because it's not meant to be as you want it to be!
Why should sprintf take a function to output something on a channel 
whereas it's used to return a string?

...

Cheers,
 Philippe