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[Standard ML (SML)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_ml) is one of the two main dialects of the ML programming
language. [ML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ML_programming_language) was the first strong statically typed language,
developed in the early 1970s at the University of Edinburgh. 

Despite it's age, SML feels very young in many ways; SML had features that mainstream languages would not pick up for decades and are still being experimented with today.

Here are some of ML's "cutting-edge" features:

- [**strong** static typing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_system#Static_typing)
- [automatic type inference](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_inference)
- exception handling
- [pattern matching](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_matching)
- parametric polymorphism
- [first class functions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-class_function)

SML was originally designed for developping proofs about first-order predicate calculus (read: _computer programs_)
and it can have a distinct academic feel about it.

However it's emphasis on immutability and strong typing has led SML to be used in many fields where program correctness is paramount (compiler design, code analysis, financial systems, medical systems, etc...).

Learning SML makes you a better programmer, because it forces you to write code that is stateless and to use closures
effectively.

It's also many programmers first introduction to pattern matching and (truely) strong typing. And because SML's type system is so strong and well-thought out, it often feels like you are working in a dynamically typed language instead.

There are several popular implementations:

- [MLton](http://mlton.org/)
- [SML/NJ](http://www.smlnj.org/)
- [PolyML](http://www.polyml.org/). 

You can find information on the language on each implementation's sites. 

Version data entries

163 entries across 163 versions & 1 rubygems

Version	Path
trackler-2.2.1.180	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.179	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.178	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.177	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.176	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.175	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.174	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.173	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.172	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.171	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.170	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.169	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.167	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.166	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.165	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.164	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.163	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.162	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.161	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md
trackler-2.2.1.160	tracks/sml/docs/ABOUT.md