[ocaml-platform] Unique file names

[Edgar Friendly]

Romain,

The way I see your example working out is something like:

video3D.ns:  module Quadtree = Video3D_Quadtree
batteries.ns: require video3D <other declarations>
core.ns: require video3D <other declarations>

Then the client code would be something like:

foo.ml:
require Core
let _ = Quadtree.do_operation x y z

The client just sees a Quadtree module for them to use, because the
compiler reads the core.ns file, finds its 'require', reads the video3D.ns
file, and puts a module Quadtree into the environment that's connected to
the Video3D_quadtree compunit.

E.


On Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 9:28 AM, Romain Bardou <romain.bardou at inria.fr>wrote:

> Hello,
>
> It seems to me that long names break modularity. By modularity I mean the
> ability to name a unit (a file, a value...) with no knowledge of its
> environment.
>
> Let's say I am developing project "Video3D" for which I developed a
> "Quadtree" module. I name it "Video3D_Quadtree". Now, let's say that
> Batteries and Core want to integrate my quadtree implementation. They will
> rename the module as "Batteries_Quadtree" and "Core_Quadtree".
>
> There is no way to chose a name that does not depend on the environment if
> I use long unique names. Long unique names are explicitely giving up on
> modularity.
>
> Long names feel like having to write code like this:
>
> type 'list_t_a list_t =
>   | List_empty
>   | List_cons of 'list_t_a * 'list_t_a list_t
>
> let rec list_map list_map_f list_map_l =
>   match list_map_l with
>     | List_empty ->
>         List_empty
>     | List_cons (list_map_value, list_map_tail) ->
>         let list_map_value = list_map_f list_map_value in
>         let list_map_tail = list_map list_map_f list_map_tail in
>         List_cons (list_map_value, list_map_tail)
>
> Everything which is defined in unit U is prefixed by "U_". Here, I have
> the "list" unit (the module) and the "list_map" unit. But thanks to
> modularity I can choose any name for "list_map_f" and "list_map_l". Because
> I am inside unit "list_map", these names are redundant and I can use "f"
> and "l" instead.
>
> It should be the same for compilation units: I should be able to name my
> module "Quadtree". Namespaces should then provide a way to integrate this
> name in another environment, if needed.
>
> Cheers,
>
> --
> Romain Bardou
>
> ______________________________**_________________
> Platform mailing list
> Platform at lists.ocaml.org
> http://lists.ocaml.org/**listinfo/platform<http://lists.ocaml.org/listinfo/platform>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ocaml.org/pipermail/platform/attachments/20130304/0254ef28/attachment.html>