Miniml documentation and example

src/lambda/README.markdown

@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ We can combine these to get various reduction strategies:
 | `#shallow` | weak normal form | weak head normal form |
 | `#deep`    | normal form      | head normal form      |
 
-In terms of programming language terminology, weak normal form corresponds to call by
-value and the weak head normal form to call by name.
+In terms of programming language terminology, weak normal form corresponds approximately
+to call by value and the weak head normal form to call by name.
 
 ##### Example interaction
 

src/miniml/README.markdown

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+An implementation of an eager statically typed functional language with
+a compiler and an abstract machine.
+
+The language has the following constructs:
+
+* Integers with arithmetic operations `+`, `-` and `*`. (There is no
+  division because the language has no exceptions.)
+* Booleans with conditional statement and comparison of integers
+  `=` and `<`.
+* Recursive functions and function application. The expression
+
+        fun f (x : t) : s is e
+
+  denotes a function of type `t -> s` which maps `x` to `e`. In `e`
+  the function refers to itself as `f`.
+
+* Toplevel definitions
+
+        let x = e
+
+  There are no local definitions.
+
+Example interaction:
+
+    MiniML. Press Ctrl-D to exit.
+    MiniML> 3 + (if 5 < 6 then 10 else 100) ;;
+    - : int = 13
+    MiniML> let x = 14 ;;
+    x : int = 14
+    MiniML> let fact = fun f (n : int) : int is if n = 0 then 1 else n * f (n-1) ;;
+    fact : int -> int = <fun>
+    MiniML> fact 10 ;;
+    - : int = 3628800
+    MiniML>
+    Good bye.