smosher_ on A brief introduction to OCaml

Comment on A brief introduction to OCaml parent

The idea is you can write this:

    let _ = print_string "foo"
    let _ = print_string "bar"

at the top level.

Of course you can write

    let msg = "foo" in print_string msg
    let msg = "bar" in print_string msg

(which isn't at issue, except no semicolons are needed.)

But you can't write

    print_string "foo"
    print_string "bar"

without semicolons.

mercurial 11y

The idea is you can write this:

let _ = print_string "foo"

let _ = print_string "bar"

at the top level.

Ah. Well, the solution is not use "let _" or ";;", the solution is to avoid sociopathic code like that. Module definition with built-in, unavoidable side effects are evil.

lpw25 11y

You need at least one module that does something at top-level, otherwise your program won't do anything.

jordwalke 11y

For serious development, yes, but consider the people who are learning OCaml. One of the first programs is going to be some kind of side effecting hello world etc.

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