Records in Haskell

[AntC]

Isaac Dupree <ml <at> isaac.cedarswampstudios.org> writes:

...
> > So under your proposal, a malicious client could guess at the fieldnames in
> > your abstraction, then create their own record with those fieldnames as
> > SharedFields, and then be able to update your precious hidden record type.
> 
> Show me how a malicious client could do that.  Under DORF plus my 
> mini-proposal,
> 
> module Abstraction (AbstractData) where
>...
> fieldLabel field1 --however it goes
> [code]

Isaac here's a suggestion: please write up your proposal on a wiki.

Don't expect that your readers will have bothered to read any of your posts, 
not even those a few back in the thread.

Don't expect they'll have read the DORF proposal, or the SORF, or TDNR, nor 
even the front page of the Records wiki.

Don't expect anybody will believe your claims unless you produce a prototype 
showing how you translate your code into legal Haskell.

Don't expect anybody will believe your prototype unless it has meaningful 
field names and is illustrating a realistic business application.

Once people look at your code or wiki, don't expect they'll get your syntax 
right: you'll have to explain that from scratch.

Don't expect they'll even bother to get this right:
> fieldLabel field1 --however it goes

Don't expect they'll understand the difference between a polymorphic record 
system vs. the narrow namespacing issue - in fact expect them to make all 
sorts of suggestions for polymorphic record systems.

Don't expect they'll try running the prototype code you laboured so hard to 
get working.

Do expect to get a heap of requests for clarifications, which you also put up 
on to the wiki so that it grows and grows -- even to explain things which you 
thought were pretty obvious.

Do expect to explain the standard Haskell behaviour that you have not changed. 
It's not enough to say "This follows standard Haskell behaviour." Do expect to 
find your wiki page growing and growing.

Do expect to get a load of posts starting "I haven't followed everything, ..." 
or "It's a while since I 'tuned out' of the Records thread, ..." and wanting 
you to explain all the bits they could read for themselves on the wiki.

Then expect they'll pick a few words out of your summary and lambast you for 
it, even though you politely requested they read the wiki to get the full 
story (and which they clearly did not do).

Throughout all this do expect to remain patient, civil and polite.

Do not expect to have a social life or get much sleep. Do expect your wife to 
ask who you're writing to, and why.


AntC