Re: to have labels or not

From: Max Skaller (maxs@in.ot.com.au)
Date: Thu Mar 23 2000 - 01:57:47 MET

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    Markus Mottl wrote:

    > So I really do not understand the point of the quarrel on labels here -

    There's no quarrel. Instead it is 'give people an inch and they want a
    mile'.

    Instead of two languages, ocaml and olabl, we now have one language with
    two
    modes. This is much better for the compiler developers, and classic mode
    ocaml users have some benefits, but the olabl system is somewhat
    compromised.
    So now, we want something better: a _single_ language, not two variants.

    The arguments about the standard library seem to me to be this: some of
    the
    ocaml (classic) users like myself would prefer to move to the
    modern/strict/label
    mode and get rid of the classic mode. But we're not willing to do so if
    it
    clutters our use of the standard library.

    I hope this represents the reason for the 'arguments' here, especially
    ones for removing labels from the standard library (or, keeping the
    old unlabelled one).

    I do not feel I gain the real advantage of labels with GUI/PCRE
    type libraries _unless_ the labelled optional argument things
    commute. I also don't want to clutter use of simple
    standard library functions with labels.

    So here's a suggestion. Get rid of classic mode.
    But have TWO complete standard libraries:

            module Classic = .. put classic modules here ..
            module Olabl = put labelled versions here

    and now we can choose libraries in the usual way
    with

            open Classic

    or

            open Olabl

    IF -classic or -label is specified on the compiler
    command line, one of these open statements is inserted
    into each module 'by magic', this is a compatibility hack
    for legacy code.

    Now, we have two libraries, but one language. This is not ideal,
    but it is better, because now we can ague about how to merge
    the libraries, and because libraries are generally under _user_ control,
    whereas compilers are not.

    -- 
    John (Max) Skaller at OTT [Open Telecommications Ltd]
    mailto:maxs@in.ot.com.au      -- at work
    mailto:skaller@maxtal.com.au  -- at home
    



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