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From: kxr@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Kas Robson)
Subject: Re: What is ML?
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Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 16:33:14 GMT
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ML stands for MetaLanguage, which is one of the currently immensely trendy functional
programming languages (FPL).  It's been knocking around for about ten years or so, now, and is
beginning to look a little... well, slow, frankly.  Its other main drawback, as far as I can
see, is that the only people who use the thing are the Computer Science department here at
Edinburgh University (who are partly responsible for its development, authoring the EdML dialog,
which I think was the main basis of the standard SML).

The various SML compilers are really difficult to get running effectively on a PC, really
wanting a powerful UNIX system, but there are implementations which will run on a PC.

It's a powerful language - making extensive use of recursion and such, and is *supposed* to be
incredibly friendly to program, coz it hides all the memory allocation and so on.  I find this
quite frustrating though, as it also makes the language very slow running, and occasionally
limiting.

Anyone interested in learning about FPL's should give it a look - it is far nicer than Ada. 
There are FAQ's knocking around, but I have no idea where.  Edinburgh University's resources
should also have some info...

Kas Robson
AICS2, Edinburgh University.
