Here's a way that works more closely to your original version:
instance Enumerated a => Target a where
convert n
| n >= 0 && n < numConstrs = Just (constrs !! n)
| otherwise = Nothing
where
constrs = constructors
numConstrs = length constrs
Alternatively:
instance Enumerated a => Target a where
convert n
| n >= 0 && n < numConstrs = Just result
| otherwise = Nothing
where
numConstrs = length (constructors `asTypeOf` [result])
result = constructors !! n
However let me warn you that you aren't going to be happy with this instance
when it comes time to use this. Instead, you probably want one of the
following:
defaultConvert :: Enumerated a => Int -> a
defaultConvert n
| n >= 0 && n < numConstrs = Just (WithEnumerated (constrs !! n))
| otherwise = Nothing
where
constrs = constructors
numConstrs = length constrs
(a)
instance Target SomeEnumeratedType where convert = defaultConvert
(b)
newtype WithEnumerated a = WithEnumerated a
instance Enumerated a => Target (WithEnumerated a) where
convert n = WithEnumerated (defaultConvert n)
OverlappingInstances basically never does what you want in the long run.
-- ryan
On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 9:01 AM, Andy Gimblett
On 17 Sep 2009, at 16:50, Daniel Fischer wrote:
Yes, the second appearance of 'constructors' is at an unspecified type.
instance (Enumerated a) => Target a where convert n | n < 0 = Nothing | otherwise = case drop n constructors of (x:_) -> Just x _ -> Nothing
would make it compile.
Neat trick. It works: thanks!
But there'd be a risk that Target is unusable, depending on how instance
resolution is done.
Unusable? How so? Sorry, but I don't follow...
-Andy
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