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wtf is higher?

xvilka/higher — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-18 · repo last pushed 2019-12-23

Audience · developerComplexity · 4/5DormantSetup · easy

TL;DR

An OCaml library that lets you write one function that works across list, array, tree, or any container type, using a pattern called higher-kinded polymorphism.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((higher))
    What it does
      Higher-kinded polymorphism
      Generic over container types
      Based on 2014 research paper
    Tech Stack
      OCaml
      opam
    Use Cases
      Write generic transforms
      Build flexible abstractions
      Port Haskell patterns
    Related Languages
      TypeScript
      Java
      Swift
    Audience
      Library authors
      Framework builders

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Write one transform function that works over lists, arrays, and trees without duplicating code

REASON 2

Build reusable abstractions for an OCaml library or framework that need to stay generic

REASON 3

Port a higher-kinded pattern you know from Haskell, TypeScript, or Swift into OCaml

REASON 4

Reduce repeated boilerplate in code that operates across multiple container types

What's in the stack?

OCamlopam

How it stacks up

xvilka/higher0verflowme/alarm-clock0verflowme/seclists
Language—CSS—
Last pushed2019-12-232022-10-032020-05-03
MaintenanceDormantDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity4/52/51/5
Audiencedevelopervibe coderops devops

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Show me an example of writing a container-generic map function in OCaml using the higher library
Prompt 2
Explain how higher-kinded polymorphism works in this library compared to how it works in Haskell
Prompt 3
Help me install and set up the higher library with opam in my OCaml project
Prompt 4
Walk me through porting a TypeScript higher-kinded type pattern to OCaml using this library

Frequently asked questions

wtf is higher?

An OCaml library that lets you write one function that works across list, array, tree, or any container type, using a pattern called higher-kinded polymorphism.

Is higher actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2019-12-23).

How hard is higher to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is higher for?

Mainly developer.

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