ocaml/README.adoc

|=====
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|=====

= README =

== Overview

OCaml is an implementation of the ML language, based on the Caml Light
dialect extended with a complete class-based object system and a powerful
module system in the style of Standard ML.

OCaml comprises two compilers. One generates bytecode which is then
interpreted by a C program. This compiler runs quickly, generates compact
code with moderate memory requirements, and is portable to essentially any
32 or 64 bit Unix platform. Performance of generated programs is quite good
for a bytecoded implementation.  This compiler can be used either as a
standalone, batch-oriented compiler that produces standalone programs, or as
an interactive, toplevel-based system.

The other compiler generates high-performance native code for a number of
processors. Compilation takes longer and generates bigger code, but the
generated programs deliver excellent performance, while retaining the
moderate memory requirements of the bytecode compiler. The native-code
compiler currently runs on the following platforms:

|====
|                |  Tier 1 (actively maintained)   | Tier 2 (maintained when possible)

| x86 64 bits    | Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD  |  NetBSD, OpenBSD
| x86 32 bits    | Linux, Windows                  |  FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD
| ARM 64 bits    | Linux                           |  FreeBSD
| ARM 32 bits    | Linux                           |  FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD
| Power 64 bits  | Linux                           |
| Power 32 bits  |                                 |  Linux
| RISC-V 64 bits | Linux                           |
| IBM Z (s390x)  | Linux                           |
|====

Other operating systems for the processors above have not been tested, but
the compiler may work under other operating systems with little work.


== Copyright

All files marked "Copyright INRIA" in this distribution are
Copyright (C) 1996-2020 Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et
en Automatique (INRIA) and distributed under the conditions stated in
file LICENSE.

== Installation

See the file link:INSTALL.adoc[] for installation instructions on
machines running Unix, Linux, OS X and Cygwin.  For native Microsoft
Windows, see link:README.win32.adoc[].

== Documentation

The OCaml manual is distributed in HTML, PDF, and Emacs
Info files.  It is available at

https://ocaml.org/releases/latest/manual.html

== Availability

The complete OCaml distribution can be accessed at

https://ocaml.org/docs/install.html

== Keeping in Touch with the Caml Community

The OCaml mailing list is the longest-running forum for OCaml users.
You can email it at

mailto:caml-list@inria.fr[]

You can subscribe and access list archives via the Web interface at

https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/subscribe/caml-list

An alternative archive of the mailing list is also available at

https://inbox.ocaml.org/

You can also access a newer discussion forum at

https://discuss.ocaml.org/

There also exist other mailing lists, chat channels, and various other forums
around the internet for getting in touch with the OCaml and ML family language
community. These can be accessed at

https://ocaml.org/community/

In particular, the IRC channel `#ocaml` on https://freenode.net/[Freenode] has a
long history and welcomes questions.

== Bug Reports and User Feedback

Please report bugs using the issue tracker at
https://github.com/ocaml/ocaml/issues

To be effective, bug reports should include a complete program (preferably
small) that exhibits the unexpected behavior, and the configuration you are
using (machine type, etc).

For information on contributing to OCaml, see link:HACKING.adoc[] and
link:CONTRIBUTING.md[].

== Separately maintained components

Some libraries and tools which used to be part of the OCaml distribution are
now maintained separately. Please use the issue trackers at their respective
new homes:

- https://github.com/ocaml/graphics/issues[The Graphics library] (removed in OCaml 4.09)
- https://github.com/ocaml/num/issues[The Num library] (removed in OCaml 4.06)
- https://github.com/ocaml/ocamlbuild/issues[The OCamlbuild tool] (removed in OCaml 4.03)
- https://github.com/camlp4/camlp4/issues[The camlp4 tool] (removed in OCaml 4.02)
- https://github.com/garrigue/labltk/issues[The LablTk library] (removed in OCaml 4.02)
- https://github.com/ocaml/dbm/issues[The CamlDBM library] (removed in OCaml 4.00)
- https://github.com/xavierleroy/ocamltopwin/issues[The OCamlWinTop Windows toplevel] (removed in OCaml 4.00)