Re: PROPOSAL: Restrict the type of (^), (^^), and add genericPower, genericPower'

"Cale Gibbard" writes:

On 17/11/2007, Ian Lynagh wrote:

...

In my opinion, (^) has the wrong type. Just as we have, for example, (!!) :: [a] -> Int -> a genericIndex :: (Integral b) => [a] -> b -> a we should also have (^) :: (Num a) => a -> Int -> a genericPower :: (Num a, Integral b) => a -> b -> a (or some other function name). The same goes for (^^) (genericPower').

This is a move in the opposite direction from what I'd really like to see. The Int type is usually a premature optimisation,

Hear, hear.

I would much prefer for length, !!, etc. to have more general types, not less general (with compiler specialisation on Int of course).

This change would be annoying.

Agreed. -- Jón Fairbairn Jon.Fairbairn@cl.cam.ac.uk