Moscow ML provides a light-weight implementation of full Standard ML,
including Modules and some extensions.  Standard ML is a strict
functional language widely used in teaching and research.

Moscow ML is based on the Caml Light system, which gives fast
compilation and modest storage consumption.

   * The full SML Modules language (structures, signatures, and functors) 
     is now supported, thanks to Claudio Russo.  
   * Also, several extensions to the SML Modules language are provided:
      - higher-order functors: functors may be defined within structures 
        and functors
      - first-class modules: structures and functors may be packed and 
        then handled as Core language values, which may then be unpacked 
        as structures or functors again
      - recursive modules: signatures and structures may be recursively 
        defined
   * Despite those improvements, Moscow ML remains backwards compatible.
   * Value polymorphism has become friendlier: non-generalizable free
     type variables are left free, and become instantiated (once only)
     when the bound variable is used
   * Added facilities for creating and communicating with subprocesses
     (structure Unix and Signal from SML Basis Library).
   * Added facilities for efficient functional generation of HTML code
     (structure Msp); also supports the writing of ML Server Page scripts.
   * Added facilities setting and accessing `cookies' in CGI scripts
     (structure Mosmlcookie), thanks to Hans Molin, Uppsala, Sweden.
   * The Gdimage structure now produces PNG images (using Thomas 
     Boutell's gd library).


Moscow ML version 2.00 is available from

              http://www.dina.kvl.dk/~sestoft/mosml.html


As before, Moscow ML

    * Implements Standard ML, as revised 1997 (value polymorphism, 
      default overloading resolution, new types).
    * Implements most of the new Standard ML Basis Library, including
      the most common input/output facilities in TextIO and BinIO.
    * Features an on-line help function.
    * Implements separate compilation.
    * Can produce compact stand-alone executables.
    * Supports quotations and antiquotations, useful for metaprogramming.
    * Provides dynamic linking of external functions (Linux/x86 and 
      Linux/Alpha, Solaris, Digital Unix, HP-UX, MacOS, Win'95/98/NT/2000)


SML BASIS LIBRARY

The SML Basis Library is an attempt to rationalize the collection of
built-in types and functions, with the aim of improving portability of
Standard ML programs.  Standard ML of New Jersey, Harlequin MLWorks,
and Moscow ML implement the Standard Library.

STAND-ALONE EXECUTABLES

Moscow ML can generate compact linked bytecode files in the style of
Caml Light.  A bytecode file calls on the shared runtime system to run
itself.

SEPARATE COMPILATION

Compilation of a signature produces a compiled interface file, which
is used when compiling other signatures and structures.

SUPPORTED PLATFORMS

Intel x86-based PCs running Windows'95, '98, 'NT, and '2000, OS/2,
Linux or FreeBSD; DEC Alpha running Linux or Digital Unix; Sun Sparc
running Solaris or SunOS; HP9000 running HP/UX 9 or HP/UX 10; SGI MIPS
running IRIX 5; Macintosh (68k and PPC) running MacOS (thanks to Doug
Currie) or MkLinux.


AUTHOR AND CREDITS

Moscow ML was written by
    Sergei Romanenko (roman@keldysh.ru)
    Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences
    Miusskaya Pl. 4, 125047 Moscow, Russia
and Claudio V. Russo (Claudio.Russo@cl.cam.ac.uk), University of Cambridge.
    Thanks to Don Sannella at LFCS, Division of Informatics,
    University of Edinburgh for funding under EPSRC grant GR/K63795
and Peter Sestoft (sestoft@dina.kvl.dk),
    Department of Mathematics and Physics, Royal Veterinary and
    Agricultural University, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, 
    Denmark.  Much of the work was done at the Technical University of
    Denmark, and while visiting AT&T Bell Laboratories, New Jersey, USA.

Moscow ML owes much to:
    * the CAML Light implementation by Xavier Leroy and Damien Doligez
      (INRIA, Rocquencourt, France); especially the Caml Light bytecode
      generator and the runtime system;
    * the ML Kit by Lars Birkedal, Nick Rothwell, Mads Tofte and David Turner
      (Copenhagen University, Denmark, and Edinburgh University, Scotland);
    * inspiration from the SML/NJ compiler developed at Princeton
      University and AT&T Bell Laboratories, New Jersey, USA; 
    * the good work by Doug Currie, Flavors Technology, USA, on the
      MacOS port and many improvements; and
    * feedback, contributions, and useful suggestions, in particular
      from Ken Friis Larsen, but also from Jonas Barklund, Mike Gordon,
      Michael Norrish, Konrad Slind, and numerous other people.

AVAILABILITY

    * The Moscow ML homepage
        http://www.dina.kvl.dk/~sestoft/mosml.html
      This includes Linux RPMs: binary x86, binary Alpha, source.
    * Moscow ML library documentation
        http://www.dina.kvl.dk/~sestoft/mosmllib/
    * The Linux executables and documentation are in
        ftp://ftp.dina.kvl.dk/pub/mosml/linux-mos20bin.tar.gz
    * The Unix source files and documentation are in
        ftp://ftp.dina.kvl.dk/pub/mosml/mos20src.tar.gz
    * The MS Windows 95/98/NT executables and documentation are in 
        ftp://ftp.dina.kvl.dk/pub/mosml/win32-mos20bin.zip
    * The MacOS (68k and PPC) executables and docs and source diffs are in
        ftp://ftp.dina.kvl.dk/pub/mosml/MacMoscowML20installer.hqx
    * The MS Windows 95/98/NT/2000 source files are in 
        ftp://ftp.dina.kvl.dk/pub/mosml/win32-mos20src.zip

These files are mirrored at
        ftp://ftp.csd.uu.se/pub/mirror/mosml

Postscript and PDF versions of the documentation included with the
binaries can be found in ftp://ftp.dina.kvl.dk/pub/mosml/doc/

Peter Sestoft (sestoft@dina.kvl.dk) 2000-06-29