[Haskell-beginners] Help with type declaration using MArray

[Daniel Fischer]

On Monday 18 April 2011 04:38:17, Perry James wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm working through Brown & Cook's "Monadic Memoization Mixins" and have
> come across some code that I can't get to compile with GHC.
> 
> The error I get for
> 
> arrayDict :: (*MArray *arr (*Maybe *b) m, *Ix *a, *Ord *a)
>           => a -> arr a (*Maybe *b) -> *Dict *a b m
> 
> is
>     Non type-variable argument
>       in the constraint: MArray arr (Maybe b) m
>     (Use -XFlexibleContexts to permit this)
>     In the type signature for `arrayDict':
>       arrayDict :: (MArray arr (Maybe b) m, Ix a, Ord a) =>
>                    a -> arr a (Maybe b) -> Dict a b m

That's clear enough, I think, you have to enable FlexibleContexts.
(Btw, also NPlusKPatterns for newer GHCs.)

> 
> Enabling FlexibleContexts causes other errors.  What could be going
> wrong? In case this isn't enough context, I've posted the full source
> code for this section of the paper at
> smipple<http://www.smipple.net/snippet/Perry%20James/Monadic%20Memoizati
> on%20Mixins> .

Simple, lines 80-81:

arrayDict size arr = (check, store) where
   check a   = if a > size then return Nothing
                           else return readArray arr a

readArray array index :: monad (Maybe b)

so the return in the else branch shouldn't be. Remove it and it compiles.

> 
> Thanks in advance for any help,
> Perry

Cheers,
Daniel