[MLton-user] new release of MLton

Stephen Weeks sweeks@sweeks.com
Sat, 28 Feb 2004 00:19:15 -0800


We are pleased to announce a new release of MLton, the whole-program
optimizing Standard ML compiler, available at http://www.mlton.org/.
MLton version 20040227 is the first public release since 20030716.
The major improvements are:

   + A new front end that follows the Definition of SML and produces
     readable error messages. 
   + Added support for NetBSD.
   + Basis library changes tracking revisions to the specification.
   + Added structures: Int64, Real32, Word64.
   + Major improvements to -show-basis which now displays the basis in
     a readable way with full type information.
   + Added mlton switches: -runtime, -sequence-unit, -show-def-use,
     -warn-match, -warn-unused. 

MLton has the following features:

   + Runs on a variety of platforms.
     o X86: Linux, Cygwin/Windows, FreeBSD, and NetBSD.
     o Sparc: Solaris.
   + Generates standalone executables with excellent running times.
   + Supports the full SML 97 language.
   + A complete basis library matching the latest specification.
   + Untagged native integers and words.
   + Unboxed reals.
   + Unboxed arrays
   + Fast C FFI for calling from SML to C and from C to SML.
   + Source-level profiling of both time and allocation.
   + Multiple garbage collection strategies.
   + Support for large amounts of memory (up to 4G), large arrays (up
     to 2G elements), and large files (using 64-bit integers for file
     positions).
   + Fast IntInf based on the GNU multiprecision library (gmp).
   + Libraries for C pointers, continuations, interval timers, random
       numbers, resource limits, resource usage, signal handlers,
       system logging, threads, and heap save and restore.

For more information, go to the MLton home page. 

   http://www.mlton.org/

Enjoy!

-- The MLton Team