Marshalling functions was: Transmitting Haskell values

[Dimitry Golubovsky]

Hi,

Hal Daume III wrote:
>>Hmm... I can write out functions using the "Show (a -> b)" instance, but
>>there's no matching "Read (a -> b)".
> 
> 
> Show (a -> b) is a bogus instances -- you won't actually be able to use it 
> for marshalling functions.

Well, marshalling functions (or storing-restoring some internal forms of 
them) might be especially nice... This would mean I can declare and 
compile a function on my side of a network connection (for example), and 
then send it to the other end for evaluation, and then get the result. 
Like a database request. Is this something absolutely impossible in 
Haskell and by what reason? Just because of strong typing (forgive my 
stupidity ;)? Or are there some deeper theoretical limitations?

-- 
Dmitry M. Golubovsky
       South Lyon, MI