bug in language definition (strictness)

[Malcolm Wallace]

>> Yet I think it would be
>> valid to say that seq can turn a non-terminating (exceptioning)  
>> program
>> into a terminating one.
>
> Do you have an example of that?

Sure.
     foldl (+) 0 [1..10000000] :: Integer
     *** Exception: stack overflow
     foldl' (+) 0 [1..10000000] :: Integer
     50000005000000

The only difference between foldl and foldl' is strictness (the use of  
seq).  By "non-terminating (exceptioning)" I of course really meant  
"terminating with bottom" as opposed to "terminating with a defined  
value", but since non-termination and exceptions are semantically both  
bottom, you won't mind that slip.  :-)

Regards,
     Malcolm