Singular Type Constructor

[Simon Marlow]

> Consider:
>=20
> --
> data T a =3D T
> --
>=20
> Is there anything in the Prelude or a standard library that=20
> looks like=20
> this? Should there be? What should it be called? 'Singleton'?=20
> 'Reified'?=20
> 'T'?
>=20
> I looked but couldn't find anything. Such a simple type=20
> constructor is in=20
> fact very useful when you need to pass types around to=20
> disambiguate class=20
> instances. For instance:
>=20
> --
> class HasTypeName t where
> 		getTypeName		:: T t -> String
> =09
> instance HasTypeName Int where
> 		getTypeName T =3D "Int"
> =09
> instance HasTypeName () where
> 		getTypeName T =3D "()"
>=20
> intName =3D getTypeName (T :: T Int)

The type T is undoubtedly useful, but I think the example you give isn't
a good one.  It works perfectly well without the T data type:

  class HasTypeName t where
 		getTypeName	:: t -> String
 =09
  instance HasTypeName Int where
 		getTypeName _ =3D "Int"
 =09
  instance HasTypeName () where
 		getTypeName _ =3D "()"
=20
  intName =3D getTypeName (undefined :: Int)

(this is just like the Typeable class in the Dynamic library, BTW)

Cheers,
	Simon