Add haskell-src as an official machine-readable component of the Haskell standard

[Yitzchak Gale]

Ben Millwood wrote:
> So we don't actually specify the content or API of the library itself,
> merely state its existence? If we specify the API we make those
> decisions, if we don't I don't see what exactly you are asking for...
> So why are you proposing that it be different from a Hackage package
> in /any/ respect?
> ...Why doesn't an independent parser do that?
> ...I don't see any benefit in putting an "official" stamp on a particular
> one. It doesn't give it a practical edge over any other...

In an enterprise software development environment, getting
the software to work in a practical way is not good enough.
You need to be able to produce officially recognized documented
evidence that it works. The existence of well-specified
standards is a prerequisite for the adoption of a language in
the mainstream.

Haskell is particularly well-suited to the needs of verification,
validation, and certification. Galois is doing a lot of great work
in this area.

I am proposing a simple step, requiring almost no effort on
our part. It would immediately raise the quality of the
standard considerably, by enriching the expressiveness
available to the writers of the standard. It would also
immediately raise the perceived value of the standard
considerably, by providing the beginnings of an
automated validation and certification framework.
And it would provide a basis for future work in many
directions, both within the standard and based upon it.

Thanks,
Yitz