SML and other languages optimize the hard part of programming – data structures, manipulation of abstract concepts and mathematical objects. But most programming isn’t the hard part. Most programming is REALLY REALLY easy shit. And SML does not optimize string munging and database insertions and removal (although it does make the tricky parts of actually creating database software easier). SML doesn’t make GUI programming any easier.
So how can we increase the string munging and foreign library and CGI and GUI power without removing the ability to make the hard parts bulletproof fewer lines of code. Is it just syntax? Or is it something more?
