Proposal: Export String from Data.String (and two related proposals)

Bas van Dijk v.dijk.bas at gmail.com
Wed Dec 1 13:42:20 CET 2010


On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Bas van Dijk <v.dijk.bas at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I would like to make three proposals, in order of importance IMHO:
>
> 1. Export String from Data.String. Most modules in base and on
> Hackage of the form: Data.<type> also export <type>. I think it's
> surprising and confusing that Data.String doesn't conform to this
> pattern.
>
> 2. Unexport String from Data.Char. I feel less strongly about this
> one, but in general I think it is good that a symbol is exported from as
> few modules as possible.
>
> 3. Export the String operations: lines, words, unlines and
> unwords from Data.String. I feel even less strongly about this one.
> However these are operations on Strings so it makes sense to export them
> from Data.String. As a counter argument you could say these operations
> either receive or produce a _list_ of Strings so they only belong in
> Data.List.
>
> If we accept 3 then in the spirit of  "export a symbol from as few modules
> as possible", you may expect a fourth proposal: Unexport the String
> operations: lines, words, unlines and unwords from Data.List.
> However I think this will break lots of programs. I have no problem also
> discussing this one though.
>
> Discussion deadline:
>
> 3 weeks from now: Wednesday 10 November.
>
> Ticket with patches:
>
> http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/4422
>
> Regards,
>
> Bas
>

I would like to wrap up this proposal.

The consensus was that all proposals should be applied:
1. Export String from Data.String.
2. Unexport String from Data.Char.
3. Export the String operations: lines, words, unlines and unwords
from Data.String.

We leave the 4th proposal for later: Unexport the String operations:
lines, words, unlines and unwords from Data.List.

I will move the ticket status to 'patch'.

Thanks,

Bas



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