Joshua B. Smith

Joshua Smith is a consultant specializing in data problems and computing infrastructure. He got into computers while an undergraduate at Denison University and spends most of his programming time using Python, OCaml, and Java. Josh lives in Chicago with his wife, Carol, and their two cats.

Objective Caml (OCaml) is an open source programming language that allows you to utilize both functional and object-oriented programming. A very fast and efficient language, OCaml’s speed is on par with the likes of C/C++, and Practical OCaml is the only book available that covers OCaml. The compiler is available for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Unix, Linux, and Apple. OCaml can be found in a variety of scientific applications and is used as a teaching language in universities.

Practical OCaml teaches Objective Caml in a straightforward and practical manner. All the features of this functional programming language are taught by example. You will learn how to utilize OCaml to create a simple database, perform reporting, and create a spam filter. You will also learn how to scan complex log files, create your own network servers by creating a shoutcast server, and create a web crawler. By this book’s conclusion, you’ll be able to decipher when and why OCaml should be used, and be prepared to create your own applications with OCaml.