[Haskell-cafe] data/newtype examples

[Johannes Waldmann]

Dear Cafe -


I wanted a quick example (for teaching)
that shows a difference between data and newtype.

You'd think that `newtype` makes things more strict,
so we'd see more exceptions. 
Then try the following, and try to guess the semantics beforehand:

ghci> data D = D Bool
ghci> case D undefined of D x -> ()
ghci> case undefined of D x -> ()

ghci> newtype N = N Bool
ghci> case N undefined of N x -> ()
ghci> case undefined of N x -> ()


What examples do you use?
I'm interested both in simple ones,
and confusing/obfuscated ones.


Yes I know I can

ghci> seq (D undefined) ()
()
ghci> seq (N undefined) ()
*** Exception: Prelude.undefined

but that `seq` is extra magic that needs to be explained.
Well, perhaps I should.


To show that I've done some homework here: 
the primary source of truth is the Haskell Language Report 
(well hidden at the bottomest end of https://www.haskell.org/documentation/)
and it uses (in 4.2.3 Datatype Renamings) the concept
of "equivalent to bottom". Then 6.2 Strict Evaluation
shows how to test that with `seq` (without mentioning newtype,
and that's fine since the Report is not a tutorial).
This suggests that `seq` is really the way to go here.
There are examples for data/newtype/case combined
in 3.17.2 Informal Semantics of Pattern Matching 
but they distinguish between
newtype N = N Bool  and  data    D = D !Bool  (with a bang).


- J.W.