The Other Prelude
From HaskellWiki
Contents |
1 Call For Contribution
This fun project, called The Other Prelude, is a creative reconstruction of the standard Prelude. By disregarding history and compatibility, we get a clean sheet.
2 Committee
This project has no committee whatsoever. Haskell community discussed the issues here.
3 Naming Conventions
- Function names should be easy for beginners to consume.
- Specifically, The Other Prelude naming convention is to use
- descriptive symbols for functions that are naturally infix (e.g., is replaced bymplus)(++)
- whole English words and camelCase for functions (e.g., but notorElse)fmap
- descriptive symbols for functions that are naturally infix (e.g.,
4 The Hierarchy
Although, not Haskell 98, hierarchical modules will definitely be in Haskell'. We take it for granted.
- - Minimalistic module.TheOtherPrelude
- - Convenient definitions. The reasoning behind its existence is that we want the Prelude to be very concise. It should not steal good names.TheOtherPrelude.Utilities
5 Open Issues
- Should implyFunctoror the other way around?Monad
- When the same function has an infix and a prefix implementation, should one of them be outside the class to enforce consistency?
- Should Prelude functions use instead ofInteger?Int
- Should be a class rather than a type synonym?String
- The current proposal lacks a well thought mechanism. Should it be integrated intofail, or have a class of his own, or remain in theMonadZeroclass?Monad
6 Reality
What we have here right now is not ready to be adopted by existing projects. May be the class system extension proposal can make a difference.
7 The Code
Currently, the code is in Wiki form. If people do agree that the collaborative decisions begot something pretty, we'll have a group of files in darcs.haskell.org some time.
The imaginery Prelude as it stands,
7.1 TheOtherPrelude
-- module: TheOtherPrelude import Prelude () -- hide everything -- the idea is to remove 'fmap'. -- both map :: (a -> b) -> [a] -> [b] ('fmap' for the monad []) -- and (.) :: (a -> b) -> (e -> a) -> (e -> b) ('fmap' for the (->) e monad) -- are good names, and are intuitively prefix and infix respectively. class Functor f where -- 'fmap' is guilty of nothing but a bad name map, (.) :: (a -> b) -> f a -> f b -- implementing either is enough map = (.) (.) = map -- the following has been shamelessly copied, -- from the Functor hierarchy proposal[1] wiki page. class Functor f => Applicative f where -- lifting a value return :: a -> f a -- lifted application, in prefix and infix form apply, (<*>) :: f (a -> b) -> f a -> f b -- when the second is independent of the first (>>) :: m a -> m b -> m b -- implementing either is enough apply = (<*>) (<*>) = apply -- is there a better definition? f >> g = (map (const id) f) <*> g -- this leaves little left for the actual Monad class class Applicative m => Monad m where -- the binding operation, gist of a monad (>>=) :: m a -> (a -> m b) -> m b -- throwing out the outer monad join :: m (m a) -> m a -- intuitive definitions x >>= f = join (map f x) join x = x >>= id -- we shamelessly copy from the MonadPlus reform proposal[2] now. -- zero will be used when pattern matching against refutable patterns in -- do-notation as well as to provide support for monad comprehensions. -- should satisfy 'left zero': zero >>= f = zero class Monad m => MonadZero m where zero :: m a -- should satisfy 'monoid' -- zero ++ b = b, b ++ zero = b, (a ++ b) ++ c = a ++ (b ++ c) -- and 'left distribution' -- (a ++ b) >>= f = (a >>= f) ++ (b >>= f) class MonadZero m => MonadPlus m where (++) :: m a -> m a -> m a -- should satisfy 'monoid' -- zero `orElse` b = b, b `orElse` zero = b -- (a `orElse` b) `orElse` c = a `orElse` (b `orElse` c) -- and 'left catch' -- (return a) `orElse` b = a class MonadZero m => MonadOr m where orElse :: m a -> m a -> m a
[1]: Functor hierarchy proposal
[2]: MonadPlus reform proposal
[3]: Class system extension proposal
7.2 TheOtherPrelude.Utilities
-- module: TheOtherPrelude.Utilities import Prelude () -- hide everything -- this is the if-then-else proposal -- the name has been chosen to reflect the magic of Church booleans! boolean True x _ = x boolean False _ y = y
8 How To Use
-- ''The Other Prelude'' is an alternative, not a replacement. -- So we need to hide everything from the Prelude import Prelude () -- This is just an example assuming there is nothing to hide import TheOtherPrelude -- Hopefully, this module will contain lift,... -- Standard convention is to use M.lift (instead of liftM) import qualified TheOtherPrelude.Monad.Kleisli as M
9 See also
- Class system extension proposal - Makes this proposal worth reading at last
- Functor hierarchy proposal - Making implyMonad m(adopted by The Other Prelude).Functor m
- If-then-else - Making a function (partially adopted by The Other Prelude, we are silent on the bigger issue of sugar).if
- MissingH - Functions "missing" from the Haskell Prelude/libraries.
- MonadPlus reform proposal - Clarifies ambiguities around MonadPlus laws (adopted by The Other Prelude)
- Mathematical prelude discussion - A numeric Prelude in good shape already. Will a merger be ever possible?
- Prelude extensions and Prelude function suggestions - Unlike The Other Prelude they enhance the Prelude.
- NotJustMaybe - Instead of writing inside a specific monad (i.e. Maybe) write functions generalized on (Monad m)=> where possible.
