package lwt_ppx

Ppx syntax extension for Lwt

Ppx extensions

This Ppx extension adds various syntactic shortcut for lwt programming. It needs OCaml >= 4.02 and ppx_tools.

To use it, simply use the ocamlfind package lwt_ppx.

This extension adds the following syntax:

• lwt-binding:

let%lwt ch = get_char stdin in
code

is the same as bind (get_char stdin) (fun ch -> code).

Moreover, it supports parallel binding:

let%lwt x = do_something1 ()
and y = do_something2 in
code

will run do_something1 () and do_something2 (), then bind their results to x and y. It is the same as:

let t1 = do_something1
and t2 = do_something2 in
bind t1 (fun x -> bind t2 (fun y -> code))

Due to a bug in the OCaml parser, if you'd like to put a type constraint on the variable, please write

let (foo : int) = do_something in
code

Not using parentheses will confuse the OCaml parser.

• exception catching:

try%lwt
  <expr>
with
  <branches>

For example:

try%lwt
  f x
with
  | Failure msg ->
      prerr_endline msg;
      return ()

is expanded to:

catch (fun () -> f x)
  (function
    | Failure msg ->
        prerr_endline msg;
        return ()
    | exn ->
        Lwt.fail exn)

Note that the exn -> Lwt.fail exn branch is automatically added when needed.

• finalizer:

(<expr>) [%finally <expr>]

You can use [%lwt.finally ...] instead of [%finally ...].

• assertion:

assert%lwt <expr>

• for loop:

for%lwt i = <expr> to <expr> do
  <expr>
done

and:

for%lwt i = <expr> downto <expr> do
  <expr>
done

• while loop:

while%lwt <expr> do
  <expr>
done

• pattern matching:

match%lwt <expr> with
  | <patt_1> -> <expr_1>
      ...
  | <patt_n> -> <expr_n>

Exception cases are also supported:

match%lwt <expr> with
  | exception <exn> -> <expr_1>
  | <patt_2> -> <expr_2>
      ...
  | <patt_n> -> <expr_n>

• conditional:

if%lwt <expr> then
  <expr_1>
else
  <expr_2>

and

if%lwt <expr> then <expr_1>