Proposal #2659: Add sortOn and friends to Data.List

[Duncan Coutts]

On Sun, 2008-10-05 at 17:39 +0200, Twan van Laarhoven wrote:
> Hello list,
> 
> 
> Almost all uses of sortBy in user code use 'comparing', 'on' or a similar 
> construction [1]. I think we should add a function that makes this common 
> behavior more convenient:
> 
>      sortOn :: Ord b => (a -> b) -> [a] -> [a]


I think fewer names and more combinations is usually best unless there
is a really compelling reason. Just because things are often used in
combination doesn't mean we have to make a new name to represent that
composition. As functional programmers we are very used to using
composition, especially simple function application.

What is wrong with

sortBy (comparing fieldFoo) ?

It's not very long, it's pretty descriptive and easily generalises using
the 'on' function.

The only thing missing here is equating. I still have to define that
myself to write:

groupBy (equating fieldBar)

I know I can write

groupBy ((==) `on` fieldBar) but that just does not read so nicely.

So perhaps I should file a counter-proposal suggesting that all we need
to do is to add equating to Data.Eq. :-)


Duncan