March 2003 - Haskell-Cafe

Alternatives to finalization
by Nick Name 11 Mar '03

11 Mar '03

As the result of a conversation on haskell-gui, I have tried to implement the disallocation of resources when a stream is garbage collected. To explain myself: I have a function f :: IO [a] which returns a lazy stream after allocating some resource to feed it (say installing a callback). I wish that the resource could be disallocated when it's no longer used. I did the obvious implementation with Weak.addFinalizer; results are encouraging but not completely satisfying; the scheme I used is: f = do allocateResource l <- makeTheStream addFinalizer l (disallocateResource) return l The problem is that if no memory is allocated, no garbage collection happens; of course finalization is not guaranteed, as the manual states. Another alternative is to make f return an esplicit "close stream" action: f :: IO ([a],IO ()) Is anyone willing to explain me other alternatives if there are, or to tell me that there aren't? Thanks for attention Vincenzo

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ANNOUNCE: Helium, for Learning Haskell, version 1.1
by Arjan van IJzendoorn 11 Mar '03

11 Mar '03

Dear all, We are proud to announce version 1.1 of Helium. It can be found at the Helium website: http://www.cs.uu.nl/~afie/helium/ Version 1.1 has the following improvements: - An installer for Windows systems for an improved out-of- the-box experience. - A cool Java-based graphical interpreter called Hint written by a student at our institute. It has a nice GUI with colours, toolbar buttons and menu's. The best feature is that it integrates with your favourite editor and you can jump to the exact locations of messages by clicking on them! - New warnings and hints for common mistakes: "sin .3", "X = 5" (see below for examples of messages) - Completely new presentation of type errors with more information - Much improved syntax error messages thanks to a new lexer. And thanks to Parsec we can tell not only what was unexpected, but also what would be legal at that position. - The command-line interpreter is now called 'texthint' to avoid conflicts with hmake's 'hi' (sorry!). TextHint is improved in many ways. For one, it now accepts file paths after :l. Other improvements can be found if you type :? - User manuals for the different tools (helium, hint, texthint) and other helpful information on the Helium website - We've compiled Helium with Oxygen (ghc -O2) and this makes the compiler twice as fast. Great work, GHC people! - One well-placed 'seq' makes Helium another 25% faster. - Very many minor bug fixes - The webpage is simpler, wider and easier to navigate thanks to a road map Have fun! the Helium team -- Examples of Helium messages These messages where generated by typing expressions on the texthint prompt. If you compile a file with these errors you will get exact error locations. Prelude> [(1, 3] Unexpected close bracket ']' Hint: Expecting a close bracket for '(' Prelude> sinn .2 Warning: Function composition (.) immediately followed by number Hint: If a Float was meant, write "0.2" Otherwise, insert a space for readability Undefined variable "sinn" Hint: Did you mean "sin" ? Prelude> map [1..10] even Type error in application expression : map [1 .. 10] even term : map type : (a -> b) -> [a] -> [b] does not match : [Int] -> (Int -> Bool) -> c probable fix : re-order arguments Prelude> let X = 5 in X Left hand side pattern defines no variables Undefined constructor "X" Hint: Use identifiers starting with a lower case letter to define a function or a variable Undefined constructor "X" Prelude> 1+chr '0' Type error in variable expression : chr type : Int -> Char expected type : Char -> Int probable fix : use ord instead

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RE: GHC Error Message.
by Simon Peyton-Jones 10 Mar '03

10 Mar '03

------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------- data AParser String = AP {apapply::([String]->[(String,[String])])} Whoa! You can't declare a data type like that! You must have a type variable after the data type name, thus: data AParser a = AP .... It's an egregious bug that GHC does not reject your data type declaration. After that, all bets are off. Some deeply-wired-in invariant is not being obeyed, and all manner of bad things may happen. Thank you for showing up the bug -- I'll fix it. Simon

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GHC Error Message.
by Mansour Al-Mutairi 09 Mar '03

09 Mar '03

Hi, Could someone please explain to me why the following error message happen: When I load the following code into GHC I get an error message: code: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- data AParser String = AP {apapply::([String]->[(String,[String])])} instance Monad AParser where return v = AP (\inp -> [(v,inp)]) (AP p) >>= f = AP (\inp -> concat [ apapply (f v) inp1 | (v,inp1) <- p inp]) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- error: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred type is less polymorphic than expected Quantified type variable `b' is unified with another quantified type variable `a' When trying to generalise the type inferred for `>>=' Signature type: forall a1 b1. AParser a1 -> (a1 -> AParser b1) -> AParser b1 Type to generalise: forall a1 b1. AParser a1 -> (a1 -> AParser b1) -> AParser b1 In the instance declaration for `Monad AParser' Failed, modules loaded: none. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But when I create the type synonym type Stack = [String] data AParser String = AP {apapply::(Stack -> [(String,Stack)])} and use Stack instead of [String], GHC does not complain??? Thanks. Mansour.

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Re: speedup help
by oleg＠pobox.com 08 Mar '03

08 Mar '03

| comb is only called from here: | sumbn n = sum [ bernoulli i * fromIntegral(comb (n+1) i) | i | <- [0 .. n-1] ] Probably I misunderstand what "bernoulli i" stands for. If it is meant Bernoulli number B_i, http://mathworld.wolfram.com/BernoulliNumber.html then the above expression is quite inefficient. Bernoulli numbers with odd indices are all zero, except B_1, which is -1/2. Therefore, the above expression ought to be written as sumbn n = 1 - (fromIntegral (n+1)%(fromIntegral 2)) + sum [ (b' i) * fromIntegral(comb (n+1) i) | i <- [2,4 .. n-1] ] It appears that you compute the sumbn to obtain B_n from the equality sum [bernoulli i * (comb (n+1) i) | i<-[0..n]] == 0 Have you tried bernoulli n = sum [ (sumib k n) % (k+1) | k<-[1..n]] where sumib k n = sum [ (comb k r) * r^n | r<-[2..k]] - sum [ (comb k r) * r^n | r<-[1,3..k]] the advantage of the latter series is that sumib is an Integer, rather than a rational. The powers of r can be memoized. Here's the code -- powers = [[r^n | r<-[1..]] | n<-[1..]] powers = [1..] : map (zipWith (*) (head powers)) powers -- neg_powers = [[(-1)^r * r^n | r<-[1..]] | n<-[1..]] neg_powers = map (zipWith (\n x -> if n then x else -x) (iterate not False)) powers pascal:: [[Integer]] pascal = [1,1] : map (\line -> zipWith (+) (line++[0]) (0:line)) pascal bernoulli n = sum [ fromIntegral (sumib k n) % fromIntegral (k+1) | k<-[1..n]] sumib:: Int -> Int -> Integer sumib k n = sum $ zipWith (*) (neg_powers!!(n-1)) (tail $ pascal!!(k-1)) This code seems to compute 'bernoulli 82' in less then a second, in Hugs (on a 2GHz Pentium IV).

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RE: instance declaration troubles
by Simon Peyton-Jones 07 Mar '03

07 Mar '03

It's in 7.3.5.3. I'm going to make it more prominent S | -----Original Message----- | From: Hal Daume III [mailto:hdaume@ISI.EDU] | Sent: 07 March 2003 15:08 | To: Nick Name | Cc: Haskell Cafe | Subject: RE: instance declaration troubles | | Double Argh! I just noticed that this isn't what I meant to quote and now | I can't find it. But the basic idea of what I wanted to quote was that: | | YOu have to have at least one non-type variable in instance declarations | otherwise we don't necessarily know that reduction will terminate. I.e.: | | instance A a => B a where | instance B a => A a where | | will not terminate if you ever try to reduce A to B. I recall from the | docs that Simon is "looking for a rule which lifts this rule but still | maintains decidability." or something along those lines. | | Sorry about that! | | - Hal | | -- | Hal Daume III | hdaume(a)isi.edu | "Arrest this man, he talks in maths." | www.isi.edu/~hdaume | | On Fri, 7 Mar 2003, Simon Peyton-Jones wrote: | | > Argh. The documentation is out of date, or rather, inconsistent. | > | > In Section 7.3.4 you'll see that GHC -fglasgow-exts lifts the | > restriction that class methods must not constrain only the class type | > variable. | > | > I'll fix 7.3.5.2, which you are quoting. | > | > Simon | > | > | -----Original Message----- | > | From: Hal Daume III [mailto:hdaume@ISI.EDU] | > | Sent: 07 March 2003 03:16 | > | To: Nick Name | > | Cc: haskell-cafe(a)haskell.org | > | Subject: Re: instance declaration troubles | > | | > | From the GHC docs: | > | | > | In the signature of a class operation, every constraint must mention | > at | > | least one type variable that is not a class type variable. Thus: | > | | > | class Collection c a where | > | mapC :: Collection c b => (a->b) -> c a -> c b | > | | > | is OK because the constraint (Collection a b) mentions b, even though | > it | > | also mentions the class variable a. On the other hand: | > | | > | class C a where | > | op :: Eq a => (a,b) -> (a,b) | > | | > | is not OK because the constraint (Eq a) mentions on the class type | > | variable a, but not b. However, any such example is easily fixed by | > moving | > | the offending context up to the superclass context: | > | | > | class Eq a => C a where | > | op ::(a,b) -> (a,b) | > | | > | A yet more relaxed rule would allow the context of a class-op | > signature to | > | mention only class type variables. However, that conflicts with Rule | > | 1(b) for types above. | > | | > | -- | > | Hal Daume III | hdaume(a)isi.edu | > | "Arrest this man, he talks in maths." | www.isi.edu/~hdaume | > | | > | On Fri, 7 Mar 2003, Nick Name wrote: | > | | > | > | > | > I want to declare the following: | > | > | > | > class Get a where | > | > ls :: a b -> IO [b] | > | > mk :: IO [b] -> a b | > | > | > | > instance (Get a) => Functor a where | > | > fmap f x = mk (ls x >>= return . map f) | > | > | > | > | > | > But to have ghc type everything, I have to turn on "-fglasgow-exts | > | > -fallow-undecidable-instances -fallow-overlapping-instances". | > | > | > | > Is there a clean way to state that all types in my type class are | > also | > | > in the "Functor" type class? | > | > | > | > If not, what is the problem? | > | > | > | > Vincenzo | > | > _______________________________________________ | > | > Haskell-Cafe mailing list | > | > Haskell-Cafe(a)haskell.org | > | > http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe | > | > | > | | > | _______________________________________________ | > | Haskell-Cafe mailing list | > | Haskell-Cafe(a)haskell.org | > | http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe | > _______________________________________________ | > Haskell-Cafe mailing list | > Haskell-Cafe(a)haskell.org | > http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe | > | | _______________________________________________ | Haskell-Cafe mailing list | Haskell-Cafe(a)haskell.org | http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe

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instance declaration troubles
by Nick Name 07 Mar '03

07 Mar '03

I want to declare the following: class Get a where ls :: a b -> IO [b] mk :: IO [b] -> a b instance (Get a) => Functor a where fmap f x = mk (ls x >>= return . map f) But to have ghc type everything, I have to turn on "-fglasgow-exts -fallow-undecidable-instances -fallow-overlapping-instances". Is there a clean way to state that all types in my type class are also in the "Functor" type class? If not, what is the problem? Vincenzo

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RE: instance declaration troubles
by Simon Peyton-Jones 07 Mar '03

07 Mar '03

Argh. The documentation is out of date, or rather, inconsistent. In Section 7.3.4 you'll see that GHC -fglasgow-exts lifts the restriction that class methods must not constrain only the class type variable. I'll fix 7.3.5.2, which you are quoting. Simon | -----Original Message----- | From: Hal Daume III [mailto:hdaume@ISI.EDU] | Sent: 07 March 2003 03:16 | To: Nick Name | Cc: haskell-cafe(a)haskell.org | Subject: Re: instance declaration troubles | | From the GHC docs: | | In the signature of a class operation, every constraint must mention at | least one type variable that is not a class type variable. Thus: | | class Collection c a where | mapC :: Collection c b => (a->b) -> c a -> c b | | is OK because the constraint (Collection a b) mentions b, even though it | also mentions the class variable a. On the other hand: | | class C a where | op :: Eq a => (a,b) -> (a,b) | | is not OK because the constraint (Eq a) mentions on the class type | variable a, but not b. However, any such example is easily fixed by moving | the offending context up to the superclass context: | | class Eq a => C a where | op ::(a,b) -> (a,b) | | A yet more relaxed rule would allow the context of a class-op signature to | mention only class type variables. However, that conflicts with Rule | 1(b) for types above. | | -- | Hal Daume III | hdaume(a)isi.edu | "Arrest this man, he talks in maths." | www.isi.edu/~hdaume | | On Fri, 7 Mar 2003, Nick Name wrote: | | > | > I want to declare the following: | > | > class Get a where | > ls :: a b -> IO [b] | > mk :: IO [b] -> a b | > | > instance (Get a) => Functor a where | > fmap f x = mk (ls x >>= return . map f) | > | > | > But to have ghc type everything, I have to turn on "-fglasgow-exts | > -fallow-undecidable-instances -fallow-overlapping-instances". | > | > Is there a clean way to state that all types in my type class are also | > in the "Functor" type class? | > | > If not, what is the problem? | > | > Vincenzo | > _______________________________________________ | > Haskell-Cafe mailing list | > Haskell-Cafe(a)haskell.org | > http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe | > | | _______________________________________________ | Haskell-Cafe mailing list | Haskell-Cafe(a)haskell.org | http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe

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debug with GHC FFI?
by paul＠theV.net 05 Mar '03

05 Mar '03

I am using Green Card to make some FFI modules with GHC, but sometimes it segfaults in the middle of nowhere, leaving no sensible stack trace in gdb. I wonder what is the proper way to debug FFI modules written in C? Trying to add a "-g" flag doesn't seem help at all... Regards, .paul.

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You missed my Birthday again!
by Ami 05 Mar '03

05 Mar '03

Hi ya, Can't believe you missed my Birthday again, give me a call when you get this e-mail. You have to check out this great present Mel sent me, everyone at work is going mad over it! www.deals2go.co.uk/script Ami

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