Mattias Engdegård wrote:

>>let line_count filename =
>>  let f = open_in filename in
>>  let rec loop count =
>>    match (readline f) with
>>      | Some(_) -> loop (count+1)
>>      | None -> count in
>>  loop 0;;
>>    
>>
>
>Something like this should be even faster:
>
>exception Done of int
>
>let line_count file =
>  let rec loop count =
>    let _ =
>      try
>	input_line f
>      with End_of_file -> raise (Done count)
>    in
>      loop (count + 1)
>  in
>    try loop 0 with Done x -> x
>
>as it avoids unnecessary consing in the inner loop.
>
>__
>

This should be a FAQ.

let line_count file =
    let rec loop count =
       let test =
          try
             let _ = input_line f in
             true
          with
          | Not_found -> false
       in
       if test then
          loop (count + 1)
       else
          count
    in
    loop 0
;;

No consing, no unnecessary try/catch, tail recursive.

Brian