[Haskell-cafe] Parameterized constraints

[Emil Axelsson]

Hi!

The `constraints` package provides ways to manipulate objects of kind 
`Constraint`. I need the same kind of manipulation, except that I need 
to work with objects of kind `* -> Constraint`. I.e. I need 
parameterized constraints that can be applied to different types.

BTW, is there a standard term for things of kind `* -> Constraint`?

I have a type family

   type family Constr (f :: * -> *) :: * -> Constraint

which returns a parameterized constraint with the property that any 
value of type `f a` fulfills the constraint `Constr f a`. Since the 
constraint can be stronger than needed, I need something similar to `:-` 
from `constraints`, except it should operate on parameterized constraints.

I have implemented the stuff I need (see below), but my question is if 
it's possible to do this with the `constraints` package directly (e.g. 
using `Forall`). I'm afraid I can't see how.

Here is what I've come up with so far:

   -- Instead of (c1,c2)
   class    (c1 a, c2 a) => (c1 :/\: c2) a
   instance (c1 a, c2 a) => (c1 :/\: c2) a

   -- Instead of (:-)
   type sub :< sup = forall a . Dict (sup a) -> Dict (sub a)

   -- Instead of weaken1
   weak1 :: c1 :< (c1 :/\: c2)
   weak1 Dict = Dict

   weak2 :: c2 :< (c1 :/\: c2)
   weak2 Dict = Dict

Thanks!

-- 
/ Emil