ML programming language

This article refers to the functional programming language called ML; the acronym ML is also used to refer to machine language.

ML is a general-purpose functional programming language developed by Robin Milner and others in the late 1970s at the University of Edinburgh, whose syntax is inspired by ISWIM. Historically, ML stands for metalanguage as it was conceived to develop proof tactics in the LCF theorem prover (the language of which ML was the metalanguage is pplambda , a combination of the first-order predicate calculus and the simply-typed Polymorphism (computer science) Lambda calculus). It is known for its use of the Hindley-Milner type inference algorithm, which can infer the types of most values without requiring the extensive annotation often criticised in languages such as Java programming language.

ML is often referred to as an impure functional language, because it permits side-effect (computer science)s, and therefore imperative programming, unlike purely functional programming languages such as Haskell programming language.

Features of ML include Parameter (computer science) evaluation strategy, first class function (programming)s, automatic memory management through garbage collection (computer science), parametric polymorphism (computer science), static typing, type inference, algebraic data types, pattern matching, and exception handling.

Today there are several languages in the ML family; the two major dialects are SML programming language and Caml, but others exist, including F Sharp programming language. Ideas from ML have influenced numerous other languages, such as Haskell programming language, Cyclone programming language, and Nemerle.

ML s strengths are mostly applied in language design and manipulation (compilers, analyzers, theorem provers), but it is a general-purpose language also used in bioinformatics, financial systems, and applications including a genealogical database, a peer-to-peer client/server program, etc.

=External links=

*[http://shootout.alioth.debian.org/ Comparison of the speed of various languages] *[http://www.dina.kvl.dk/~sestoft/mosml.html Moscow ML, a popular implementation of Standard ML] *[http://research.microsoft.com/projects/ilx/fsharp.aspx F#, an ML implementation using the Microsoft .NET framework]