The OCaml Language Cheatsheets

The OCaml Language Cheatsheets

OCaml v.4.08.1

Syntax

Implementations are in .ml files, interfaces are in .mli files.
Comments can be nested, between delimiters (*...*)
Integers: 123, 1_000, 0x4533, 0o773, 0b1010101
Chars: 'a', '\255', '\xFF', '\n'
Floats: 0.1, -1.234e-34

Data Types

unit:             (* void, takes only one value: () *)
int:              (* integer of either 31 or 63 bits, like 42 *)
int32:            (* 32 bits Integer, like 42l *)
int64:            (* 64 bits Integer, like 42L *)
float:            (* double precision float, like 1.0 *)
bool:             (* boolean, takes two values: true or false *)
char:             (* simple ASCII characters, like 'A' *)
string:           (* strings, like "Hello" or foo|Hello|foo *)
bytes:            (* mutable string of chars *)
'a list :         (* lists, like head :: tail or [1;2;3] *)
'a array:         (* arrays, like [|1;2;3|] *)
t1 * ... * tn:    (* tuples, like (1, "foo", 'b') *)

Constructed Types

type record =               (* new record type *)
{ field1 : bool;            (* immutable field *)
  mutable field2 : int; }   (* mutable field *)

type enum =                 (* new variant type *)
  | Constant                (* Constant constructor *)
  | Param of string         (* Constructor with arg*)
  | Pair of string * int    (* Constructor with args *)
  | Gadt : int -> enum      (* GADT constructor *)
  | Inlined of { x : int }  (* Inline record *)

Constructed Values

let r = { field1 = true; field2 = 3; }
let r' = { r with field1 = false }
r.field2 <- r.field2 + 1;
let c = Constant
let c = Param "foo"
let c = Pair ("bar",3)
let c = Gadt 0
let c = Inlined { x = 3 }

References, Strings and Arrays

let x = ref 3   (* integer reference (mutable) *)
x := 4          (* reference assignation *)
print_int !x;   (* reference access *)
s.[0]           (* string char access *)
t.(0)           (* array element access *)
t.(0) <- x      (* array element modification *)

Imports - Namespaces

open Unix               (* global open *)
let open Unix in expr   (* local open *)
Unix.(expr)             (* local open *)

Functions

let f x = expr                (* function with one arg *)
let rec f x = expr            (* recursive function, apply: f x *)
let f x y = expr              (* with two args, apply: f x y *)
let f (x,y) = expr            (* with a pair as arg, apply: f (x,y) *)
List.iter (fun x -> expr)     (* anonymous function *)
let f = function None -> act  (* function definition *)
      | Some x -> act         (* function definition [by cases] *)
                              (* apply: f (Some x) *)
let f ~str ~len = expr        (* with labeled args *)
                              (* apply: f ~str:s ~len:10 *)
                              (* apply: (for ~str:str):  f ~str ~len *)
let f ?len ~str = expr        (* with optional arg (option) *)
let f ?(len=0) ~str = expr    (* optional arg default *)
                              (* apply (with omitted arg): f ~str:s *)
                              (* apply (with commuting): f ~str:s ~len:12 *)
                              (* apply (len: int option): f ?len ~str:s *)
                              (* apply (explicitly omitted): f ?len:None ~str:s *)
let f (x : int) = expr        (* arg has constrainted type *)
let f : 'a 'b. 'a*'b -> 'a    (* function with constrainted *)
      = fun (x,y) -> x        (* polymorphic type *)

Modules

module M = struct .. end            (* module definition *)
module M: sig .. end= struct .. end (* module and signature *)
module M = Unix                     (* module renaming *)
include M                           (* include items from *)
module type Sg = sig .. end         (* signature definition *)
module type Sg = module type of M   (* signature of module *)
let module M = struct .. end in ..  (* local module *)
let m = (module M : Sg)             (* to 1st-class module *)
module M = (val m : Sg)             (* from 1st-class module *)
module Make(S: Sg) = struct .. end  (* functor *)
module M = Make(M')                 (* functor application *)

Module type items: val, external, type, exception, module, open, include, class

Pattern-matching

match expr with
  | pattern -> action
  | pattern when guard -> action    (* conditional case *)
  | _ -> action                     (* default case *)
Patterns:
  | Pair (x,y) ->                   (* variant pattern *)
  | { field = 3; _ } ->             (* record pattern *)
  | head :: tail ->                 (* list pattern *)
  | [1;2;x] ->                      (* list pattern *)
  | (Some x) as y ->                (* with extra binding *)
  | (1,x) | (x,0) ->                (* or-pattern *)
  | exception exn ->                (* try&match *)

Conditionals

Do NOT use on closures

x = y           (* (Structural) Polymorphic Equality *)
x == y          (* (Physical) Polymorphic Inequality *)
x <> y          (* (Structural) Polymorphic Equality *)
x != y          (* (Physical) Polymorphic Inequality *)
compare x y     (* negative, when x < y *)
compare x y     (* 0, when x = y *)
compare x y     (* positive, when x > y *)

Other Polymorphic Comparisons: >, >=, <, <=

Loops

while cond do ... done;
for var = min_value to max_value do ... done;
for var = max_value downto min_value do ... done;

Exceptions

exception MyExn                 (* new exception *)
exception MyExn of t * t'       (* same with arguments  *)
exception MyFail = Failure      (* rename exception with args *)
raise MyExn                     (* raise an exception *)
raise (MyExn (args))            (* raise with args *)
try expr                        (* catch MyExn *)
with MyExn -> ...               (* if raised in expr *)

Objects and Classes

class virtual foo x =           (* virtual class with arg *)
  let y = x+2 in                (* init before object creation *)
  object (self: 'a)             (* object with self reference *)
  val mutable variable = x      (* mutable instance variable *)
  method get = variable         (* accessor *)
  method set z =
    variable <- z+y             (* mutator *)
  method virtual copy : 'a      (* virtual method *)
  initializer                   (* init after object creation *)
    self#set (self#get+1)
end

class bar =                     (* non-virtual class *)
  let var = 42 in               (* class variable *)
  fun z -> object               (* constructor argument *)
  inherit foo z as super        (* inheritance and ancestor reference *)
  method! set y =               (* method explicitly overridden *)
    super#set (y+4)             (* access to ancestor *)
  method copy = {< x = 5 >}     (* copy with change *)
end
let obj = new bar 3             (* new object *)
obj#set 4; obj#get              (* method invocation *)
let obj = object .. end         (* immediate object *)

Polymorphic variants

type t = [ `A | `B of int ]       (* closed variant *)
type u = [ `A | `C of float ]
type v = [ t | u | ]              (* union of variants *)
let f : [< t ] -> int = function  (* argument must be a subtype of t *)
  | `A -> 0 | `B n -> n
let f : [> t ] -> int = function  (* t is subtype of the argument *)
  |`A -> 0 | `B n -> n | _ -> 1

Reference

• Cheat Sheets - OCaml