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Chapter 7 The OCaml language

Foreword

This document is intended as a reference manual for the OCaml language. It lists the language constructs, and gives their precise syntax and informal semantics. It is by no means a tutorial introduction to the language: there is not a single example. A good working knowledge of OCaml is assumed.

No attempt has been made at mathematical rigor: words are employed with their intuitive meaning, without further definition. As a consequence, the typing rules have been left out, by lack of the mathematical framework required to express them, while they are definitely part of a full formal definition of the language.

Notations

The syntax of the language is given in BNF-like notation. Terminal symbols are set in typewriter font (like this). Non-terminal symbols are set in italic font (like that). Square brackets […] denote optional components. Curly brackets {…} denotes zero, one or several repetitions of the enclosed components. Curly brackets with a trailing plus sign {…}⁺ denote one or several repetitions of the enclosed components. Parentheses (…) denote grouping.

• 7.1 Lexical conventions
• 7.2 Values
• 7.3 Names
• 7.4 Type expressions
• 7.5 Constants
• 7.6 Patterns
• 7.7 Expressions
• 7.8 Type and exception definitions
• 7.9 Classes
• 7.10 Module types (module specifications)
• 7.11 Module expressions (module implementations)
• 7.12 Compilation units

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