The ml doesn't need a main because it's not being compiled. It's the temporary C file being compiled which will need a main like every C program.

right, I understand that the temporary C files can just be encapsulated like so (correct me if i'm wrong):

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

   // converted c code here

}

but that doesn't really explain how the program can access the arguments, as we don't know what the program is going to refer the argument values as when doing the computing, so we cant really name the main parameters argc and argv right?

unless i'm missing something and it says how the arguments is going to be used in the ml file

ANONYMOUS wrote:

The ml doesn't need a main because it's not being compiled. It's the temporary C file being compiled which will need a main like every C program.

right, I understand that the temporary C files can just be encapsulated like so (correct me if i'm wrong):

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

   // converted c code here

}

but that doesn't really explain how the program can access the arguments, as we don't know what the program is going to refer the argument values as when doing the computing, so we cant really name the main parameters argc and argv right?

unless i'm missing something and it says how the arguments is going to be used in the ml file

You are missing something.

You replace the identifiers (in the ml file) arg0, arg1, arg2, etc. By the command line arguments that are passed to run ml. e.g.

./runml somefile.ml 1 2 3

means that in the ml file the parameters will be initialized as follows. arg0 = 1 arg1 = 2 arg2 = 3

means that in the ml file the parameters will be initialized as follows. arg0 = 1 arg1 = 2 arg2 = 3

okay, so I can assume that the arguments will be accessed under the alias arg0, arg1, .... and not under any other name correct? but wouldn't this contradict the statement where identifier names can only include lowercase alphabetic order?

ANONYMOUS wrote:

means that in the ml file the parameters will be initialized as follows. arg0 = 1 arg1 = 2 arg2 = 3

okay, so I can assume that the arguments will be accessed under the alias arg0, arg1, .... and not under any other name correct? but wouldn't this contradict the statement where identifier names can only include lowercase alphabetic order?

Technically they're not considered "identifiers" just "variables". So, in other words, they're an exception to the rule. As stated in the project description: "8.the variables arg0, arg1, and so on, provide access to the program's command-line arguments which provide real-valued number."