* `*` is not (yet) deprecated. While I did work with the larger community to come up with the name `Type`, I don't recall getting specific support for deprecating `*`. I do think this is a good direction of
#12030: GHCi Proposal: Display (Data.Kind.)Type instead of * -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- Reporter: Iceland_jack | Owner: Type: feature request | Status: new Priority: normal | Milestone: Component: GHCi | Version: 8.1 Resolution: | Keywords: TypeInType Operating System: Unknown/Multiple | Architecture: | Unknown/Multiple Type of failure: None/Unknown | Test Case: Blocked By: | Blocking: Related Tickets: | Differential Rev(s): Wiki Page: | -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- Comment (by johnleo): Comments by Richard Eisenberg (goldfire), copied from [https://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/12029]: travel, but I don't think we should do this without more of a community mandate.
* There are no kind synonyms in GHC 7.10 or below. Thus, according to
the [https://prime.haskell.org/wiki/Libraries/3-Release-Policy three- release policy] (which isn't a formal operating policy of GHC, I don't think) we should wait until 8.4 before starting to deprecate `*`.
* If the community agrees on moving away from `*`, we could add warnings
about `*` to `-Wcompat`.
* If the community agrees on moving away from `*`, we could also start
- Blogs, textbooks, etc., have used `*` for a long time. Furthermore, kinds are hard for newcomers to understand. Changing GHC's output will make this harder. - Until 8.4 comes out, it will be hard for a library author to discover that `*` is the right way to spell `Type` that is compatible with
- The use of `*` as a kind is enshrined in the Haskell Reports. These Reports do not specify the error/warning behavior of a compiler, and so
changing the pretty-printer to use `Type` instead of `*`. This is not to be done lightly, however. There are several issues here: three releases. this change is not exactly a deviation from a standard. But it continues to make GHC seem as if it's drifting away from the standard with little remorse.
* I personally think we should wait at least 5-6 years before formally
disposing of `*`. I will create a proposal in [https://github.com/ghc-proposals/ghc- proposals] in the near future to start a conversation. -- Ticket URL: http://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/12030#comment:2 GHC http://www.haskell.org/ghc/ The Glasgow Haskell Compiler