Re: Re: Re: [Haskell-cafe] Why Exotic Languages Are Not Mainstream

Maybe it could also catch errors in my cafe emails...

sqrs l = map sqr l where sqr x = x*x

On 8/11/06, Nicolas Frisby wrote:

Thanks for the pointers, but I think I'm looking for type information specific to my program. The VisualHaskell feature of which I am envious is the ability to tell me the type of any identifier in my program.

Disclaimer: I've never used VisualHaskell and am going only by what I read on its features page.

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sqrs l = map fn l where fn x = x+2

Presumably, VisualHaskell would let me mouse-over/select the x in x+2 and tell me that it's of type 'Num a => a'; where I could mouse-over/select srqs and it would tell me that it's of type 'Num a => [a] -> [a]' (not necessarily the same a!). Of course this isn't too helpful with this example, but start imagining method definitions for

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= or the like on hairier data structures.

I don't know how VisualHaskell handles type-errors, but I think it'd be neat if it gave me as much info as possible when errors were in the picture--that's exactly when I need the info the most!

And, of course, I'd like this functionality in a multi-platform editor.

Nick

On 8/11/06, Neil Mitchell wrote:

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Hi

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I also use http://haskell.org/hoogle quite a bit and I keep meaning to install the lambda bot locally on my machine so that I can ask it.

If you download and compile hoogle from the darcs repo, there is a console version included. Of course, lambdabot gives you lots more than just hoogle, so might still be the one for you.

Thanks

Neil