#8346: Rank 1 type signature still requires RankNTypes ----------------------------+---------------------------------------------- Reporter: | Owner: tinctorius | Status: new Type: bug | Milestone: Priority: normal | Version: 7.6.3 Component: Compiler | Operating System: Unknown/Multiple Keywords: | Type of failure: GHC rejects valid program Architecture: | Test Case: Unknown/Multiple | Blocking: Difficulty: Unknown | Blocked By: | Related Tickets: #2605 | ----------------------------+---------------------------------------------- When trying to figure out which type variable names are *actually* bound in `ScopedTypeVariables`, I tried floating `forall`s into the covariant argument of the function type. Essentially, I ran into the problem that programs like the following are rejected: {{{ #!hs {-# LANGUAGE ExplicitForAll #-} tuple :: forall a. a -> (forall b. b -> (a, b)) tuple = (,) }}} The message is as follows: {{{ Main.hs:2:10: Illegal polymorphic or qualified type: forall b. b -> (a, b) Perhaps you intended to use -XRankNTypes or -XRank2Types In the type signature for `tuple': tuple :: forall a. a -> (forall b. b -> (a, b)) }}} As far as I know, the rank of a type is defined by how deep quantifiers are nested in contravariant parts of that type. Or something like that. Also, as far as I know, `forall a. a -> (forall b. b -> (a, b))` is equivalent to `forall a b. a -> b -> (a, b)`, and more importantly, both are rank-1 polymorphic. There should be no need to use extensions that allow higher-ranked polymorphism. -- Ticket URL: http://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/8346 GHC http://www.haskell.org/ghc/ The Glasgow Haskell Compiler