I've stumbled over the following (code *extremely* simplified):
f :: Bool
f = g 1
g :: Num a => a -> Bool
g _ = f
This results in the following error message (on GHC):
Contexts differ in length
When matching the contexts of the signatures for
f :: Bool
g :: forall a. (Num a) => a -> Bool
The signature contexts in a mutually recursive group should all be
identical
A similar problem is described in:
darcs.haskell.org/haskore/docs/Tutorial.pdf on page 128.
My first question is:
1) Is there a name for this restriction: I can't clearly identify it as
some case of Let-Bound Polymorphism or the monomorphism restriction.
[http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/references/haskell/haskell-intro-html/pitfalls.html]
2) What exactly is the problem with it?
3) What's the best workaround?
I've first tried to add an abundance of explicit type-annotations like f
= (g::Int->Bool) 1 to it, but it doesn't work.
Then, I found a solution, but it's awkward:
f :: Bool
f = g f 1
g :: Num a => Bool -> a -> Bool
g f _ = f
As you may have guessed, the actual code is a bit more complicated than
this. Basically I interpret a symbol in a syntax-tree which can belong
to different type-classes. When doing that, other more general symbols
must be evaluated. An indirect recursion (potentially) occurs...
I hope this hasn't been done to death yet. If it has, please just answer
question one so that I can read up on it...
Thank you,
Tim
_______________________________________________
Haskell-Cafe mailing list
Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org
http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe
