#2893: Implement "Quantified contexts" proposal -------------------------------------+------------------------------------- Reporter: porges | Owner: (none) Type: feature request | Status: new Priority: normal | Milestone: ⊥ Component: Compiler | Version: 6.10.1 Resolution: | Keywords: | QuantifiedContexts 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 simonpj): I've build an implementation of `QuantifiedConstraints`, held on `wip/T2893`. Here's the commit message {{{ commit dbcf8d0b9076ae32b9138623eb84f67c18ed3dab Author: Simon Peyton Jones <simonpj@microsoft.com> Date: Sat Jan 27 14:32:34 2018 +0000 Implement QuantifiedConstraints We have wanted quantified constraints for ages and, as I hoped, they proved remarkably simple to implement. All the machinery was already in place. The main ticket is Trac #2893, but also relevant are #5927 #8516 #9123 (especially! higher kinded roles) #14070 #14317 The wiki page is https://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/wiki/QuantifiedContexts Here is the relevant Note: Note [Quantified constraints] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The -XQuantifiedConstraints extension allows type-class contexts like this: data Rose f x = Rose x (f (Rose f x)) instance (Eq a, forall b. Eq b => Eq (f b)) => Eq (Rose f a) where (Rose x1 rs1) == (Rose x2 rs2) = x1==x2 && rs1 >= rs2 Note the (forall b. Eq b => Eq (f b)) in the instance contexts. This quantified constraint is needed to solve the [W] (Eq (f (Rose f x))) constraint which arises form the (==) definition. Here are the moving parts * Language extension {-# LANGUAGE QuantifiedConstraints #-} and add it to ghc-boot-th:GHC.LanguageExtensions.Type.Extension * A new form of evidence, EvDFun, that is used to discharge such wanted constraints * checkValidType gets some changes to accept forall-constraints only in the right places. * Type.PredTree gets a new constructor ForAllPred, and and classifyPredType analyses a PredType to decompose the new forall-constraints * TcSMonad.InertCans gets an extra field, inert_insts, which holds all the Given forall-constraints. In effect, such Given constraints are like local instance decls. * When trying to solve a class constraint, via TcInteract.matchInstEnv, use the InstEnv from inert_insts so that we include the local Given forall-constraints in the lookup. (See TcSMonad.getInstEnvs.) * TcCanonical.canForAll deals with solving a forall-constraint. See Note [Solving a Wanted forall-constraint] Note [Solving a Wanted forall-constraint] * We augment the kick-out code to kick out an inert forall constraint if it can be rewritten by a new type equality; see TcSMonad.kick_out_rewritable Still to come - User manual documentation - A GHC Proposal }}} I'll try to get it up on Phabricator on Monday, unless someone would care to beat me to it. Please give it a try! -- Ticket URL: <http://ghc.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/2893#comment:28> GHC <http://www.haskell.org/ghc/> The Glasgow Haskell Compiler