2007/11/13, Simon Peyton-Jones
| "For technical reasons, GHCi can only support the *-form for modules | which are interpreted, so compiled modules and package modules can | only contribute their exports to the current scope." But it does mean | the interpreter isn't referentially transparent, which is weird for a | language that puts so much stress on referential transparency.
Well it depends on what you mean by "referential transparency" -- but I'll agree 100% that the behaviour you described in your original message is surprising, and therefore unwelcome.
Plus, I just discovered, by reading this thread, WHY this happen.
Meanwhile, though, the best we can do is improve the documentation:
Dan, can you suggest any words we could add to the documentation that would have prevented you stumbling?
Granted, I'm lazy. I read release notes only and only few first pages to see what's new. Couldn't GHCI be improved to at least give some hints? Cheers, Radek.