proposal: standardize interface to Haskell' implementations

[Claus Reinke]

> | the point is to standardise an api to functionality that all
> | haskell implementations will need in some form or other and that all
> | haskell tools should be able to depend on.
> 
> something in line of Template Haskell?

not really. it would be nice to see TH standardized (at least,
I'd like to see some -separate- discussion about that here),
but it is slighly different, and more complex.

TH would be a likely client of such an Haskell' API, but would 
probably be limited by its facilities to look somewhat less well 
integrated than it is in its current form.

TH does provide an interface to some of the functionality people
would want from a Haskell' API, and TH has been used instead
of separate frontends, so it would be worthwhile to look at both
side-by-side, for inspirations;-)

in other words, the ultimate Haskell'''''''' API and the ultimate TH
might look similar, but for now, it might be better to think of them
as separate, though related issues.

in the meantime, perhaps someone might implement a "poor man's
TH" on top of a Haskell' API, and GHC's TH  and GHC API might 
drift towards a convergence with such. but first, we need one!-)

claus