Programming language · 1983

Standard ML

Programming language.

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Standard MLWritten in
1983First released
Robin MilnerDeveloper
staticTyping
Built fromInfluenced SStandard ML Standard MLMLOCamlPython
CompilerInfluence

What is Standard ML written in?

The Standard ML compiler is written in Standard ML (documented). Standard ML is self-hosting.

Quick Facts

Developer
Robin Milner
First released
1983
Typing
static
Filename extension
.sml

About Standard ML

Standard ML is a programming language. It is a statically typed language that compiles ahead of time to native machine code. It supports functional and imperative programming.

Standard ML first appeared in 1983. Development is led by Robin Milner. Standard ML is now used mainly in specialized niches and by dedicated communities.

How Standard ML is implemented

In the Language Lineage dataset, Standard ML is self-hosting, so its own compiler is written in Standard ML itself. Reaching self-hosting, where a language is mature enough to compile itself, is a milestone that proves the language can handle a large, real-world program.

Standard ML in the language family tree

Standard ML drew on ideas from ML and went on to influence OCaml and Python.

Sources: Wikipedia · Wikidata · Official site

Frequently Asked Questions

What language is Standard ML written in?
Standard ML is primarily implemented in Standard ML. See the implementation section above for details and source references.
What languages influenced Standard ML?
Standard ML was influenced by ML among others. See the influence section above for the full list.
Which languages did Standard ML influence?
Standard ML influenced OCaml, Python among others.
Is Standard ML self-hosting?
Yes, Standard ML is self-hosting, its compiler can compile itself.
When was Standard ML first released?
Standard ML was first released in 1983.

Evidence Sources

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<iframe src="https://www.languagelineage.org/embed?lang=sml" width="100%" height="500" loading="lazy" style="border:0" title="Standard ML relationship graph"></iframe>

Please attribute the visualization to Language Lineage and link to the Standard ML source record.

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