[seanstrom]

As a fan of ML family languages I have a question for SML lovers. What do you typically build with SML?

For context, I’m web programmer and I’m also learning game dev, can I use SML productively?

Or are there other tasks that I could use SML for?

[sshine]

SML for web and game dev? Why not!

There is the Rails-inspired web framework SML on Stilts: — https://github.com/j4cbo/stilts — presumably named after its great ergonomics.

And there is the SDL-powered MosGame, specifically for the Moscow ML compiler — https://github.com/Eckankar/MosGame — it comes with these examples: https://github.com/Eckankar/MosGame/tree/master/examples

But really, SML is primarily good for writing compilers.

[qznc]

SML could be a nice “typed Lua” for scripting.

[mbrock]

Especially if there was an implementation that could build from C source code in a simple way without requiring an existing SML compiler…

[nextos]

SML has an insanely good optimizing compiler, MLton.

With some backing SML could be the language of choice for safe and efficient applications.

[porcoda]

I use it for my work in program analysis, code generation, and other languages-research projects. I’ve also used it to a lesser degree for modeling and simulation problems.

You would probably be better served by F# or Ocaml for a web-oriented ML stack. SML has less of an ecosystem in that area.

[jlokier]

I used to work on a hardware compiler written in SML, which compiled a language called Handel to logic circuits for FPGAs.

Mostly I worked on fancy optimisation passes, and a fast gate-level simulator.

Similar to languages like Haskell which emphasise first-class algebraic datatypes (tagged unions) and pattern-matching in a concise but clear syntax, it's good for writing things that manipulate tree-like and symbol-heavy data structures like program syntax trees and circuit graphs, and quickly trying out new ideas with those.

[csb6]

It is good at parsing/other compiler-related tasks. Basically anything where you are working with tree structures I think can be a good fit. It is also good as a way to learn about functional programming.

[chrischen]

React.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15209814

Also the commentor is one of the maintainers of the ReScript compiler, which is essentially being forked from Ocaml.

[rixed]

It is said ML languages are good for compilers. I would say more broadly that they are perfect for anything symbolic.