[Haskell-cafe] Type error

[Chris Kuklewicz]

I'll explain a little bit.

Consider (show (read "13")).  The compiler has no way to know what the type "a"
produced by read should be.  It must be an instance of (Read a) and (Show a),
but the compiler cannot generate any actual code!


Alfonso Acosta wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I have a type problem in my code which I dont know how to solve (and
> I'm not really sure why is caused). I have made a simplified example,
> can anyone have a look at it?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> The error is:
> 
> Example.hs:24:47:
>    Ambiguous type variable `a' in the constraint:
>      `HDPrimType a'
>        arising from use of `supplySig' at Example.hs:24:47-55
>    Probable fix: add a type signature that fixes these type variable(s)
> 
> 
> Here is the code

I have further simplified the example, removing and reordering parameters.

> 
> ---
> module Example where
> 
> 
> data HDSignal a = HDSignal

The above lets you use constructor HDSignal to create type (HDSignal a) for any
type "a".

> class HDPrimType a where
> class PortIndex a where
> 
> class SourcePort s where
> -- Plug an external signal to the port
> plugSig  :: (HDPrimType a) => s  -> (HDSignal a -> b) -> b

The above is odd, in that the plugSig can internally produce (HDPrimType a =>
HDSignal a) for any "a" that satisfies the constraint.

Perhaps you want to use a functional dependency?

> class SourcePort s a | s -> a where

Or perhaps you need an existential forall ?

> plugSig  ::  s  -> (forall a. HDPrimType a=> HDSignal a -> b) -> b

> class DestPort d where
> -- Supply a signal to the port
> supplySig  :: (PortIndex ix, HDPrimType a) => ix -> d -> HDSignal a -> d
> 

The above is odd, in that the DestPort can take (HDPrimType a => HDSignal a) for
any "a" that satisfies the constraint.

Perhaps you really want the type "d" in (DestPort d) to imply a specific type
"a" with a functional dependency?

> class DestPort d a | d -> a where

Or perhaps you need a forall?

> supplySig  :: (PortIndex ix) => ix -> d -> (forall. HDPrimType a => HDSignal a) -> d

> -- Connect providing indexes
> connectIx :: (SourcePort s, DestPort d, PortIndex dix) =>
>              s -> dix -> d -> d
> -- This can seem ugly,
> -- it would be easier for us having different types for plugSig and
> supplySig
> -- but the final user would find it much more difficult to deal with
> -- supplysig
> connectIx s dix d = plugSig s (supplySig dix d)

The above produced the error because the compiler has no clue what the type "a"
is in the signatures for supplySig and plugSit.