I learnt ML as an undergrad. I felt it was an excellent introduction to the key concepts of functional programming (ADTs, partial application, type inference, l

I learnt ML as an undergrad. I felt it was an excellent introduction to the key concepts of functional programming (ADTs, partial application, type inference, lazy data structures, pure functions/lack of mutability etc). Would I use it in production code, indeed have I even touched it since undergrad? No Have I found the concepts I learnt via it highly valuable? Yes Writing compilers maps pretty well to ML, especially for simple/toy compilers you might write as an undergrad, so I can see why he might insist upon it, allowing him to start with the concepts already learnt as a base.