Could we move this debate to Haskell-café? Simon | -----Original Message----- | From: haskell-bounces@haskell.org [mailto:haskell-bounces@haskell.org] On Behalf Of Serge D. | Mechveliani | Sent: 27 April 2004 05:49 | To: Ketil Malde | Cc: haskell@haskell.org | Subject: Re: [Haskell] Re: sizeFM type | | On Mon, Apr 26, 2004 at 10:09:18PM +0200, Ketil Malde wrote: | > "Serge D. Mechveliani" <mechvel@botik.ru> writes: | > | > > Alexander is right. | > > | > > Also as Integer has more sense than Int, | > > I would suggest for the future standard Haskell library to have | > > Integer as default. For example: | > > length :: [a] -> Integer | > > smallLength :: [a] -> Int | > | > Hmm...isn't it possible to use a class here? Perhaps even Num? | > | > class Num a where .... | > : | > length :: [b] -> a | > : | > | | I think, for many functions, like length, it is most natural to | return Integer only. | And it is also natural for many instances (domains) D to provide | maps like toInteger, fromInteger. | Just follow mathematics. | | Example: length xs :: (Rational, Rational) | looks unnatural, | but fromInteger (length xs) :: (Rational, Rational) | looks natural. | | ----------------- | Serge Mechveliani | mechvel@botik.ru | | | _______________________________________________ | Haskell mailing list | Haskell@haskell.org | http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell