[Haskell-cafe] Re: [Haskell] Re: sizeFM type

27 Apr 2004

      [Moved to -cafe at SPJ's request]

"Serge D. Mechveliani"  writes:
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On Mon, Apr 26, 2004 at 10:09:18PM +0200, Ketil Malde wrote:
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"Serge D. Mechveliani"  writes:
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length      :: [a] -> Integer
                                smallLength :: [a] -> Int
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Hmm...isn't it possible to use a class here?  Perhaps even Num?
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I think, for many functions, like  length,  it is most natural to 
return  Integer  only.
Well, perhaps Integral is a better choice.  I was perhaps thinking of
functions like:

        average xs = sum xs / length xs

I'd rather have a polymorphic "length", than different versions for
each possible return type.  One problem could be that with

        average xs = sum xs / fromIntegral (length xs)

the return type of length becomes ambigous?

-kzm
-- 
If I haven't seen further, it is by standing in the footprints of giants