[Haskell] Views in Haskell

[Simon Marlow]

Malcolm Wallace wrote:
> Simon Peyton-Jones <simonpj at microsoft.com> wrote:
> 
>> I have finally written up a proposal for adding
>> "view patterns" to Haskell.
>>         http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/haskell-prime/wiki/ViewPatterns
> 
> I have taken the liberty of correcting a couple of mistakes in your
> example code (on the wiki).
> 
> To add to the bikeshed discussion of syntax, did you consider and reject
> the obvious use of '<-' rather than '->', which would more closely match
> the pattern guard syntax?  For example,
> 
>       f ((name,rest) <- regexp "[a-z]*") = ...

Yes, I'd prefer that too.  However, note that while the right arrow syntax looks 
confusing when used on the left of a case alternative:

    case e of
       (regexp "[a-z]*" -> (name,rest)) -> ...

the left arrow syntax looks strange when used in a statement:

    do
       ((name,rest) <- regexp "[a-z]*") <- readFile "foo"
       ...

although on balance, "pattern on the left of <-" is a better rule than "pattern 
on the left of -> when it is preceded by \, but on the right otherwise" :-) 
Being able to distinguish binding from bound occurrences of variables quickly is 
very important for reading code, I'm worried that there won't be a good syntax 
for view patterns that gets this right.

Personally I remain to be convinced by view patterns.  All these examples can be 
rewritten using either auxiliary functions, pattern guards, monads, or a 
combination of these.  Too much choice is counter-productive.

>       parsePacket ((n, (val,bs) <- bits n) <- bits 3) = ...
> vs
>       parsePacket (bits 3 -> (n, (bits n -> val bs))) = ...

are these significantly better than

   parsePacket p = parseBits p $ do n <- bits 3; val <- bits n; ...

given a simple bit-parsing monad?

(I just noticed that Duncan posted something similar while I was writing this, 
oh well).

Cheers,
	Simon