[ocaml-platform] on the need and design of OCaml namespaces

[Xavier Clerc]

----- Mail original -----
> Let me try to summarize the current situation about the argument
> between Alain, Leo and myself.  I think Leo and I are roughly on the
> same page, but I may be missing things.

(...)

> - SOURCE-LEVEL OPENS.  Alain would prefer to have namespace
>   manipulations restricted to the command line, and therefore the
>   build system.  

(...)

>   My biggest objection to having opens be at the build system level
>   is
>   that it makes your code more ambiguous.  When you do namespace
>   manipulations, you very much want to see what's happening by
>   inspecting the source.

I concur. Moreover, even if I am not sure that imitation is the
sincerest form of flattery... I think we should have a look at
how other languages deal with namespaces.

Personal experience never exposed me to a language where namespaces
are solely expressed in the build system. OCaml already looks
alien enough to unevangelized people :-)


Xavier