Type Inference Infelicity

19 Mar 2003

      This should compile, shouldn't it?

-- ghc -c -fglasgow-exts TestInfer.hs
module TestInfer where
    {
    class C t a b | t a -> b;
    instance C Char a Bool;

    data P t a = forall b. (C t a b) => MkP b;

    data Q t = MkQ (forall a. P t a);

    f' :: Q Char;
    f' = MkQ (MkP True :: forall a. P Char a);

    f :: Q Char;
    f = MkQ (MkP True);
    }

GHC 5.04.2 for MacOS X complains about f, but not about f':

TestInfer.hs:15:
    Could not deduce (C t a Bool) from the context ()
    Probable fix:
        Add (C t a Bool) to the When generalising the type of an 
expression
        Or add an instance declaration for (C t a Bool)
    arising from use of `MkP' at TestInfer.hs:15
    In the first argument of `MkQ', namely `(MkP True)'
    In the definition of `f': MkQ (MkP True)

-- 
Ashley Yakeley, Seattle WA