New type of expressions containing (error ...) includes noisy implicit parameter

[Ben Gamari]

Christopher Allen <cma at bitemyapp.com> writes:

> Prelude> let myList = [1, 2, 3 :: Integer]
> Prelude> let myList' = myList ++ undefined
> Prelude> :t myList
> myList :: [Integer]
> Prelude> :t myList'
> myList' :: (?callStack::GHC.Stack.Types.CallStack) => [Integer]
>
...
> This isn't just a pedagogical problem, this is a UX problem. The users
> don't _care_ that call stack information is being carried around. Why would
> they? It happens without any mention in the types in almost every other
> programming language.
>
Well, in the case of implicit call stacks users arguably *need* to care
whether call stack information is carried around: you only get call
stack information when you explicit request request one. This is one of
the limitations of the implicit callstack mechanism.

That being said, the example that you offer is a bit suspicious to the
point where I suspect it's a bug. As far as I know, the solver should
not introduce new callstack constraints: if a CallStack constraint
doesn't exist in the available context the solver should simply satisfy
it with an empty callstack and that should be the end of it (Eric,
correct me if I'm wrong).

Indeed, 7.10.2, which also had an early version of implicit callstack
support, did exactly this. I haven't yet looked any further into what
may have changed, but I have opened #11573 to track this.

Thanks for pointing this out.

Cheers,

- Ben
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