On Mon, Apr 26, 2004 at 08:58:53PM +0200, Wolfgang Jeltsch wrote: > Am Montag, 26. April 2004 20:45 schrieb Don Groves: > > Some languages handle the Int/Integer question automatically, > > determined by the size of the integer in question. Int is used > > until the integer excedes what the underlying architecture can > > handle, then the switch is made to Integer (bignum). Is this > > something that could be handled similarly by the Haskell compiler > > without violating anything? Just thinking out loud... > > But you can have a type which uses a "small int" representation for small > numbers and a "big int" representation for big numbers. This is probably > what you mean, and this is AFAIK exactly what at least GHC's Integer does.
indeed: (Using GHC "unboxed types" with -fglasgow-exts) data Integer = S# Int# | J# Int# ByteArray# Prelude GHC.Exts> case 2^20::Integer of S# i -> S# i 1048576 Prelude GHC.Exts> case 2^200::Integer of S# i -> S# i *** Exception: <interactive>:1: Non-exhaustive patterns in case Have a nice day, Remi -- Nobody can be exactly like me. Even I have trouble doing it. _______________________________________________ Haskell mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell
