Re: [Caml-list] polymorphic lists, existential types and asorted other hattery

[Dmitri Boulytchev <db@tepkom.ru>]

    Are structures allowed? :)

type t = {show : unit -> string}

let show l = List.map (fun x -> x.show ()) l

let integer  x = {show = fun () -> string_of_int   x}
let floating x = {show = fun () -> string_of_float x}
let boolean  x = {show = fun () -> string_of_bool  x}

let _ =
  List.iter
    (Printf.printf "%s\n")
    (show
       [
     integer 10;
         floating 3.14;
         boolean true;
       ]
    )

    OCaml does not have Haskell-style existential types (I don't exactly
know why, but can
presume that they may interfere with objects, which  considered to be
much more worthy).
     I like modules and functors very much, too, but, first, modules are
not "first-class
citizens", and second, there may be no need to re-implement all your
stuff to
start using objects --- OCaml is fairy orthogonal language.

    Best regards,
    DB.

    P.S. Objects are efficient :)
   


> Ahh, right!  Sorry, I forgot to mention I'm looking for a possible
> solution
> without classes.
>
> I ask because most of my code base is modules and functor based and it
> would
> be a pain to convert over.  Also because performance is typically
> better with
> just functions and data types.
>
> I feel like a solution without the OO side is possible through perhaps an
> analog of existential types?
>
> Peng
>
> On Tuesday 13 November 2007 04:14:06 pm Dmitri Boulytchev wrote:
>
> >    Try using classes for this purpose:
>
> >let show l = List.map (fun x -> x#show) l
>
> >class integer x =
> >  object
> >    method show = string_of_int x
> >  end
>
> >class floating x =
> >  object
> >    method show = string_of_float x
> >  end
>
> >class boolean x =
> >  object
> >    method show = string_of_bool x
> >  end
>
>
> >let _ =
> >  List.iter
> >    (Printf.printf "%s\n")
> >    (show
> >       [
> >     new integer 10;
> >         new floating 3.14;
> >         new boolean true;
> >       ]
> >    )
>
> >    Best regards,
> >    Dmitri Boulytchev,
> >    St.Petersburg State University.
>
> >>Hi,
> >>
> >>Is there a way to create lists in which the elements may be of
> >>differing types but which all have some set of operations defined
> >>(eg. tostr) in common?  One can then imagine mapping over such lists
> >>with "generic" versions of those common operations.  Here's a concrete
> >>example of what I mean:
> >>
> >>  module Int = struct
> >>    type t = int
> >>    let show x = string_of_int x
> >>  end
> >>  module Float = struct
> >>    type t = float
> >>    let show x = string_of_float x
> >>  end
> >>  module Bool = struct
> >>    type t = bool
> >>    let show x = string_of_bool x
> >>  end
> >>
> >>  let xs = [`Int 1; `Float 2.0; `Bool false]
> >>  let showany x = match x with
> >>
> >>    | `Int x -> Int.show x
> >>    | `Float x -> Float.show x
> >>    | `Bool x -> Bool.show x
> >>
> >>  ;;
> >>  List.map showany xs;;
> >>
> >>Essentially we have ints, floats and bools.  All these types can be
> >>shown.  It would be nice to be able to create a list of them [1; 2.0;
> >>false] that you can then map a generalized show over.  In the above
> >>example, I used polymorphic variants in order to get them into the
> >>same list and then had to define my own generalized show function,
> >>"showany".  This is fine as there is only one shared operation but if
> >>there is a large set of these common operations, it becomes
> >>impractical to define a generalized version for each of them.
> >>
> >>I've come across a way to do this in haskell using what they call
> >>"existential types".
> >>
> >>  http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Existential_type
> >>
> >>I don't really understand existential types however and don't know if
> >>OCaml has them nor how to use them.
> >>
> >>So.  How can one do this in OCaml?  Is there perhaps a camlp4
> >>extension that can do this?  Is there a possible functor trick that
> >>can take N modules as arguments and spit out a new module with a
> >>generalized type that can take on any of the types in the arguments
> >>and also make generalized versions of operations common to the N
> >>modules?  Are there existential types or equivalents in OCaml?  If so
> >>how does one go about using them?
> >>
> >>Thanks in advance to anyone who forays into this bundle of questions.
> >>
> >>Peng
>
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>

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