Major type-class overhaul

[Manuel M T Chakravarty]

Simon Peyton-Jones wrote:
> 3. Dictionaries are packaged in data constructors
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> A very useful new feature is this.  When a data type is declared in in
> GADT syntax, the context of the constructor is
>         *required* when constructing
>         *available* when matching
> 
> For example
>         data T a where
>           T1 :: Num a => a -> T a
>           T2 :: Bounded a => T a
> 
>         f :: T a -> a
>         f (T1 x) = x+1
>         f T2     = maxBound
> 
> Notice that f is not overloaded.  The Num needed in the first branch
> is satisfied by the T1 pattern match; and similarly for the T2 pattern
> match.
> 
> This feature has been often requested, becuase it allows you to
> package a dictionary into an ordinary (non-existential) data type, and
> be able to use it.
> 
> NOTE: the Haskell 98 syntax for data type declarations
>         data Num a => T a = T1 a
> behaves exactly as specified in H98, and *not* in the new way.
> The Num dictionary is
>         *required* when constructing, and
>         *required* when matching
> I think this is stupid, but it's what H98 says.  To get the new
> behaviour, use GADT-style syntax, even though the data type being
> defined is does not use the GADT-ness.

We may want to propose to change that for Haskell'.  What do you think?

Manuel