#show infix functions in utop

Learning
1

Hi,

I’m new to OCaml. While exploring utop looking for modulo function, I tried to use #show mod;;, which produces syntax error. I found on SO that mod is defined as infix so I tried #show (mod);; and that works. I found this a bit confusing, is there any way to see in utop if the function is defined as infix?

2

OCaml doesn’t actually let you define infix functions as you want in general. Basically, you can only:

  1. Define a function with an alphanumeric identifier as in let ident123 a b = .... The function will be prefix.

  2. Define a function with ASCII symbols between brackets, as in let (++) a b = .... The function will be infix when you use it without the brackets as in a ++ b (though you can also do (++) a b).

If you try to define an infix function whose name is alphanumeric (let (ident) a b = ...), you get a syntax error.

At this point you might be wondering what about mod then? Well mod and the bitwise manipulation operators (lsl, lsr, land etc) are special-cased so that they are infix even though they’re alphanumeric. So the way you know if a function is infix, to answer your question, is just that you have to remember that mod and the bitwise operators (and nothing else I think) are infix.

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