[Haskell-cafe] an idea for modifiyng data/newtype syntax: use `::=` instead of `=`

[Oliver Charles]

I hate to come across as a party-pooper, but do we really think it's
realistic that any of these changes will be made? I understand that there
may be benefits, but they don't outweigh the cost of breaking almost all
existing code. The idea of opting in to this with pragmas just doesn't seem
worth it, and further fragments the language, ultimately reducing
readability when I pick up another author's code.

*ocharles*

On Sat, Aug 8, 2015 at 7:29 PM Geraldus <heraldhoi at gmail.com> wrote:

> type -> alias
> data -> data
> newtype -> newalias or newdata?
>
> `type` keyword was really confusing for me at the beginning, also this
> confusion brought another one about `newtype` keyword.
>
> сб, 8 авг. 2015 г. в 22:28, Hilco Wijbenga <hilco.wijbenga at gmail.com>:
>
>> On 8 August 2015 at 08:03, Daniel Trstenjak <daniel.trstenjak at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >> type Name = String
>> >> data Date = Date Int Int Int
>> >
>> > if we're at it ;), then please change it to:
>> >
>> >    alias Name = String
>> >    type Date = Date Int Int Int
>>
>> I wholeheartedly agree with replacing the current "type" with "alias",
>> the current "type" is just flat out wrong: it does *not* create a
>> type. This should be very simple to do too: introduce "alias" as a new
>> keyword and deprecate "type". No existing code would be affected.
>>
>> I'm on the fence about "type" instead of "data", though. "data"
>> clearly conveys the meaning that we are talking about data only, not
>> functions on that data (as in OOP). (Well, data constructors are
>> functions too.) Then again, as soon as you add "deriving", you *are*
>> defining functions on that data.
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