#9453: The example for GHC Generics is kinda broken -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- Reporter: Feuerbach | Owner: Type: bug | Status: new Priority: normal | Milestone: Component: Documentation | Version: 7.8.2 Keywords: | Operating System: Architecture: Unknown/Multiple | Unknown/Multiple Difficulty: Unknown | Type of failure: Blocked By: | None/Unknown Related Tickets: | Test Case: | Blocking: | Differential Revisions: -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- From http://www.reddit.com/r/haskell/comments/2douzn/problem_with_popular_ghcgene...: The popular GHC.Generics serialization example at http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/latest/html/users_guide/generic- programming.html#idp25226064 illustrates how to serialize a sum datatype (a :+: b), with a 0 bit representing a and a 1 bit representing b. However, consider a :+: b :+: c. If the compiler treats this as (a :+: b) :+: c, then a is 00, b is 01, c is 1. If it's a :+: (b :+: c), then a is 0, b is 10, c is 11. The compiler's decision, even though (as I understand it) consistent for any given compile, could differ later. The manual, at http://hackage.haskell.org/package/generic- deriving-1.6.3/docs/Generics-Deriving-Base.html#g:9 states not to depend on the ordering, which the example does. I think this is a valid concern, and the manual should be at least updated to discuss this problem. -- Ticket URL: http://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/9453 GHC http://www.haskell.org/ghc/ The Glasgow Haskell Compiler