strict Haskell dialect

[Tomasz Zielonka]

On Thu, Feb 02, 2006 at 11:46:56PM +0100, Wolfgang Jeltsch wrote:
> Am Mittwoch, 1. Februar 2006 11:49 schrieb Bulat Ziganshin:
> > [...]
> 
> > i had one idea, what is somewhat corresponding to his discussion:
> >
> > make a strict Haskell dialect. implement it by translating all
> > expressions of form "f x" into "f $! x" and then going to the standard
> > (lazy) haskell translator. the same for data fields - add to all field
> > definitions "!" in translation process. then add to this strict
> > Haskell language ability to _explicitly_ specify lazy fields and lazy
> > evaluation, for example using this "~" sign
> >
> > what it will give? ability to use Haskell as powerful strict language,
> > what is especially interesting for "real-world" programmers. i have
> > found myself permanently fighting against the lazyness once i starting to
> > optimize my programs. for the newcomers, it just will reduce learning
> > path - they don't need to know anything about lazyness
> 
> Since laziness often allows you to solve problems so elegantly, I'm really 
> scared of the idea of a "Strict Haskell"! :-(  Is laziness really so "unreal" 
> that real-world programmers have to see it as an enemy which they have to 
> fight against?
> 
> In fact, I was kind of shocked as I read in Simon Peyton Jones' presentation 
> "Wearing the hair shirt" [1] that in his opinion "Lazyness doesn't really 
> matter".

I am with you. If Haskell switches to strictness, I am going to stay
with the old compilers, I guess... I just love laziness (or
non-strictness).  Maybe speculative evaluation is the way to go?

Best regards
Tomasz

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