140 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
140 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
= README =
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== OVERVIEW
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OCaml is an implementation of the ML language, based on the Caml Light
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dialect extended with a complete class-based object system and a
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powerful module system in the style of Standard ML.
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OCaml comprises two compilers. One generates bytecode which is then
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interpreted by a C program. This compiler runs quickly, generates
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compact code with moderate memory requirements, and is portable to
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essentially any 32 or 64 bit Unix platform. Performance of generated
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programs is quite good for a bytecoded implementation. This compiler
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can be used either as a standalone, batch-oriented compiler that
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produces standalone programs, or as an interactive, toplevel-based
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system.
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The other compiler generates high-performance native code for a number
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of processors. Compilation takes longer and generates bigger code, but
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the generated programs deliver excellent performance, while retaining
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the moderate memory requirements of the bytecode compiler. The
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native-code compiler currently runs on the following platforms:
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Tier 1 (actively used and maintained by the core OCaml team):
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AMD64 (Opteron):: Linux, MacOS X, MS Windows
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IA32 (Pentium):: Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS X, MS Windows
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PowerPC:: Linux, MacOS X
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ARM:: Linux
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Tier 2 (maintained when possible, with help from users):
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AMD64:: FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD
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IA32 (Pentium):: NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris 9
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PowerPC:: NetBSD
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ARM:: NetBSD
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SPARC:: Solaris, Linux, NetBSD
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Other operating systems for the processors above have not been tested,
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but the compiler may work under other operating systems with little work.
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Before the introduction of objects, OCaml was known as Caml Special
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Light. OCaml is almost upwards compatible with Caml Special Light,
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except for a few additional reserved keywords that have forced some
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renaming of standard library functions.
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== CONTENTS
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Changes:: what's new with each release
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INSTALL:: instructions for installation
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LICENSE:: license and copyright notice
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Makefile:: main Makefile
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README.adoc:: this file
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README.win32.adoc:: infos on the MS Windows ports of OCaml
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asmcomp/:: native-code compiler and linker
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asmrun/:: native-code runtime library
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boot/:: bootstrap compiler
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bytecomp/:: bytecode compiler and linker
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byterun/:: bytecode interpreter and runtime system
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config/:: autoconfiguration stuff
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debugger/:: source-level replay debugger
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driver/:: driver code for the compilers
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emacs/:: OCaml editing mode and debugger interface for GNU Emacs
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lex/:: lexer generator
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maccaml/:: the Macintosh GUI
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ocamldoc/:: documentation generator
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otherlibs/:: several external libraries
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parsing/:: syntax analysis
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stdlib/:: standard library
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tools/:: various utilities
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toplevel/:: interactive system
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typing/:: typechecking
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utils/:: utility libraries
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yacc/:: parser generator
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== COPYRIGHT
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All files marked "Copyright INRIA" in this distribution are copyright
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1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
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2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Institut National de Recherche en
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Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) and distributed under the
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conditions stated in file LICENSE.
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== INSTALLATION
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See the file INSTALL for installation instructions on Unix, Linux and
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MacOS X machines. For MS Windows, see link:README.win32.adoc[].
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== DOCUMENTATION
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The OCaml manual is distributed in HTML, PDF, Postscript, DVI, and
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Emacs Info files. It is available at
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http://caml.inria.fr/
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The community also maintains the Web site http://ocaml.org, with tutorials
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and other useful informations for OCaml users.
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== AVAILABILITY
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The complete OCaml distribution can be accessed at
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http://caml.inria.fr/
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== KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH THE CAML COMMUNITY
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There exists a mailing list of users of the OCaml implementations
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developed at INRIA. The purpose of this list is to share
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experience, exchange ideas (and even code), and report on applications
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of the OCaml language. Messages can be written in English or in
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French. The list has more than 1000 subscribers.
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Messages to the list should be sent to:
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mailto:caml-list@inria.fr[]
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You can subscribe to this list via the Web interface at
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https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/subscribe/caml-list
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Archives of the list are available on the Web site above.
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The Usenet news `groups comp.lang.ml` and `comp.lang.functional`
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also contains discussions about the ML family of programming languages,
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including OCaml.
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The IRC channel `#ocaml` on https://freenode.net/[Freenode] also has several
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hundred users and welcomes questions.
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== BUG REPORTS AND USER FEEDBACK
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Please report bugs using the Web interface to the bug-tracking system
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at http://caml.inria.fr/bin/caml-bugs
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To be effective, bug reports should include a complete program
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(preferably small) that exhibits the unexpected behavior, and the
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configuration you are using (machine type, etc).
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You can also contact the implementors directly at mailto:caml@inria.fr[].
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