This is a call for feedback and collaboration.
With the help of many, but mostly @sabine, @professor.rose and @tmattio, I’ve attempted to revamp two of the “getting started” tutorials from ocaml.org. I’d love to extend the length of that list.
This PR contains the state of this work: https://github.com/ocaml/ocaml.org/pull/1431
In our opinion, the getting started tutorials should include three mandatory tutorials
- Install
- A Tour of OCaml
- How to Write an OCaml Program
The fourth, dealing with installation options on Windows, being optional for apparent reasons.
This series of tutorials are intended to have a wide audience, especially for newcomers to OCaml. That’s why we believe in community feedback to make them as good as possible to most people. OCaml is currently trending in many conversations. This is a prime opportunity to ride that wave of interest.
This PR only covers parts 2 & 3 because they were mostly written from scratch. We’re also working on an update of the Install tutorial, but since it is not a rewrite, it felt more natural to put it in a separate PR. Although it is not a draft, I must say that this is an early version of the texts. I hope you will understand.
Here is the primary learning idea. That’s a breadth-first traversal of the rabbit holes.
A Tour of OCaml provides an overview of the basic language features. Here, the goal is not to address more topics but to reduce to the core of what can be learnt fast; only using UTop, will always be useful later and helps build an overall view of OCaml.
How to Write an OCaml Program has the same approach, except instead of using Utop, the reader should write files and command lines. It’s a compiler story, while the previous one was an interpreter story.
It is early August. In the northern hemisphere, we should enjoy the sea, the mountains, our friends or culture. I will be hiking during the next two weeks (and reading Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries).
I’d love to include your feedback when I get back.