[Haskell-cafe] Re: Transformers versus monadLib versus...

[ajb at spamcop.net]

G'day all.

Quoting Ertugrul Soeylemez <es at ertes.de>:

> In its highest level "not fragmenting the user base" means going back to
> C++ and Windows.

Ha.  You wouldn't say that if you were familiar with the current state
of C++ on Windows.

Since nobody has come out and admitted it, here's the real problem: What
constitutes the best API for a monad library is still a research problem.
This is evidenced by the fact that a few times a year we get yet another
paper which proposes a fundamental change to the API which would improve
matters in yet another direction.

Transformers, monadLib and MTL all have their respective strengths and
weaknesses, but they are all considerably behind the state of the art,
if you go by published research.

Andrew Bromage