Explain ML type inference to a C++ programmer
- by Tsubasa Gomamoto
How does ML perform the type inference in the following function definition:
let add a b = a + b
Is it like C++ templates where no type-checking is performed until the point of template instantiation after which if the type supports the necessary operations, the function works or else a compilation error is thrown ?
i.e. for example, the following function template
template <typename NumType>
NumType add(NumType a, NumType b) {
return a + b;
}
will work for
add<int>(23, 11);
but won't work for
add<ostream>(cout, fout);
Is what I am guessing is correct or ML type inference works differently?
PS: Sorry for my poor English; it's not my native language.
