[Haskell-cafe] instance Applicative f => Applicative (StateT s f)

[Thomas Davie]

>
> That would be incompatible with the ap of the monad where it exists,
> but it's worse than that.  Which state will you return?  If you return
> one of the states output by one or other of the arguments, you'll  
> break
> one of the laws:
>
> 	pure id <*> v = v
> 	u <*> pure y = pure ($ y) <*> u
>
> You're forced to return the input state, so the Applicative would just
> be an obfuscated Reader.

Which reminds me ofc, that there is a valid applicative for states  
(assuming the monad instance is valid):

instance Applicative (StateT s f) where
   pure = return
   (<*>) = ap

All monads are also applicatives ;)

Bob