Difference between revisions of "Unboxed type"
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| − | '''Unboxed types''' represent raw values. Unboxed types have [[kind]] <TT>#</TT>. |
+ | '''Unboxed types''' are [[type]]s that represent raw values. Unboxed types have [[kind]] <TT>#</TT>. |
| − | Note that unboxed types of different storage behaviours are all lumped together under kind <tt>#</tt>. As a result, [[type variable]]s must have kinds which are <tt>#</tt>-free. |
+ | Note that unboxed types of different storage behaviours (four bytes, eight bytes etc.) are all lumped together under kind <tt>#</tt>. As a result, [[type variable]]s must have kinds which are <tt>#</tt>-free. |
[[Category:Language]] |
[[Category:Language]] |
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| + | ==From the old Wiki== |
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| + | |||
| + | One might imagine numbers naively represented in Haskell "as pointer to a heap-allocated object which is either an unevaluated closure or is a "box" containing the number's actual value, which has now overwritten the closure" [3. below]. [[GHC]] (and other implementations?) allow direct access to the value inside the box, or "Unboxed" values. |
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| + | In GHC, by convention(?), unboxed values have a hash mark as a suffix to their name. For instance, the unboxed reprsentation of <code>42</code> is <code>42#</code>. There are some restrictions to their use. In particular, you can't pass them to polymorphic functions (like <hask>show</hask> for instance). |
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| + | In this example, <hask>I#</hask> is a constructor that takes an unboxed integer and returns the <hask>Int</hask> that we know and love. |
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| + | <haskell> |
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| + | module Main where |
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| + | import GHC.Exts |
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| + | showUnboxedInt :: Int# -> String |
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| + | showUnboxedInt n = (show $ I# n) ++ "#" |
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| + | </haskell> |
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| + | Here we wrap the unboxed Int <hask>n</hask> with the <hask>I#</hask> constructor and show the regular-old <hask>Int</hask>, whith a hash mark on the end. |
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| + | |||
| + | === Unboxed Tuples and Arrays === |
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| + | |||
| + | ... |
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| + | |||
| + | === When to use Unboxed Types === |
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| + | |||
| + | ... |
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| + | |||
| + | === See Also === |
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| + | |||
| + | #See the [http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/latest/html/users_guide/primitives.html discussion on primitives] in the [http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/latest/html/users_guide/ GHC's User's Guide]. |
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| + | #See the [http://www.haskell.org/ghc/docs/latest/html/libraries/base/GHC-Exts.html GHC.Exts] module. |
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| + | #See SPJ's paper [http://research.microsoft.com/Users/simonpj/Papers/unboxed-values.ps.Z Unboxed values as first class citizens]. |
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| + | |||
| + | ---- |
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| + | This page is a work in progress by IsaacJones. More input welcome :) |
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Revision as of 20:59, 21 March 2011
Unboxed types are types that represent raw values. Unboxed types have kind #.
Note that unboxed types of different storage behaviours (four bytes, eight bytes etc.) are all lumped together under kind #. As a result, type variables must have kinds which are #-free.
From the old Wiki
One might imagine numbers naively represented in Haskell "as pointer to a heap-allocated object which is either an unevaluated closure or is a "box" containing the number's actual value, which has now overwritten the closure" [3. below]. GHC (and other implementations?) allow direct access to the value inside the box, or "Unboxed" values.
In GHC, by convention(?), unboxed values have a hash mark as a suffix to their name. For instance, the unboxed reprsentation of 42 is 42#. There are some restrictions to their use. In particular, you can't pass them to polymorphic functions (like show for instance).
In this example, I# is a constructor that takes an unboxed integer and returns the Int that we know and love.
module Main where
import GHC.Exts
showUnboxedInt :: Int# -> String
showUnboxedInt n = (show $ I# n) ++ "#"
Here we wrap the unboxed Int n with the I# constructor and show the regular-old Int, whith a hash mark on the end.
Unboxed Tuples and Arrays
...
When to use Unboxed Types
...
See Also
- See the discussion on primitives in the GHC's User's Guide.
- See the GHC.Exts module.
- See SPJ's paper Unboxed values as first class citizens.
This page is a work in progress by IsaacJones. More input welcome :)