Re: Rebinding exception declarations

From: skaller (skaller@maxtal.com.au)
Date: Fri Oct 15 1999 - 00:52:12 MET DST


Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 08:52:12 +1000
From: skaller <skaller@maxtal.com.au>
To: Manuel Fahndrich <maf@microsoft.com>
Subject: Re: Rebinding exception declarations

Manuel Fahndrich wrote:
>
> While we are at wishing for new features in OCaml, let me add a minor
> feature to the list:
>
> Rebinding of exception declarations.

Actually, I think there is a more syntactic problem: ocaml uses
special 'kinds' of bindings, for some reason that escapes me:

        type X = ..
        class X = ..
        exception ..
        let X = ..
        let rec X =
        module X =

which permit recursion with an 'and' option. Unfortunately,
this syntax does not permit these kinds of bindings to be
mutually recursive (quite aside from the semantic issues).
I find this syntax strange, I would have expected

        let X =

be enough for all kinds of bindings, determined by the
kind of the right hand side. The distinction between
sequential and recursive bindings for functions
seems anomolous [let .. in can be used for that].

-- 
John Skaller, mailto:skaller@maxtal.com.au
1/10 Toxteth Rd Glebe NSW 2037 Australia
homepage: http://www.maxtal.com.au/~skaller
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