Re: [Caml-list] Shared types: circular dependency in modules with polymorphic type

[Hugo Ferreira <hmf@inescporto.pt>]

Hello,

Appreciate the feedback.

Peng Zang wrote:
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> I think this is because UI.t is abstract and is in fact, never created.  You 
> need to tell the old caml that UI.t is actuall an int VI.t.  Then it should 
> work.
> 

True. However in the real case I am not dealing with an "int"
but some more complicated data defined in U. I wanted to avoid
"looking" into U to know what U.t is and therefore set VI.t
accordingly.

This is important because I will use different U implementations.
For each such cases I would have to create a module for each U
implementation. Not doable.


> module Make_P (VI : VB)
>               (UI : U with type t = int VI.t)
>               (RI : R with type t = UI.t and type instance = UI.instance ) =
> struct ... end
> 
> module P1 = Make_P ( VB1 ) ( U1 ) ( R1 )
> 
> Works like a charm for me,
> 

I guess I will have to rethink my modules/types 8-(.

Thanks,
Hugo F.

> Peng
> 
> 
> On Thursday 14 May 2009 07:41:24 am Hugo Ferreira wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have again encountered a problem with sharing types.
>> However this time I really have a set of interfaces
>> which need to be "stitched" together via type sharing.
>>
>> Problem is I am dealing with a circular polymorphic
>> type dependency. Or at least seems so. I have added the
>> very simple code for testing at the end. But the short
>> of it is: with the code below
>>
>> module Make_P (VI : VB)
>>                (UI : U)
>>                (RI : R with type t = UI.t )
>> = struct
>>
>>    type instance = UI.instance
>>    type t = UI.t
>>
>>    let do_something_nice null =
>>      let vb0 = VI.empty in
>>      let vb1 = VI.add vb0 UI.zero in
>>      RI.do_something_else vb1 UI.one
>>
>> end
>>
>> I get the error:
>>
>> This expression (vb1) has type UI.instance VI.t but is here used with type
>>    RI.t = UI.t
>> vb1: UI.instance VI.t
>>
>>
>> The problem is that VI.t is polymorphic.
>> And UI uses VI.t setting the polymorphic
>> type in the process.
>> I want to make it "UI.instance VI.t."
>> How can I do that. I have tried:
>>
>>
>> module Make_P (VI : VB)
>>                (UI : U with type t = U.instance VI.t)
>>                (RI : R with type t = UI.t )
>> and
>>
>> module Make_P (UI : U)
>>                (VI : VB with type 'a t = UI.t)
>>                (RI : R with type t = UI.t )
>>
>> with no success.
>>
>>
>>
>> --------------------- Code ---------------
>>
>>
>>
>> module type VB = sig
>>
>>    type 'a t
>>
>>    val empty : 'a t
>>    val add : 'a t -> 'a -> 'a t
>> end
>>
>>
>> module VB1 : VB
>> = struct
>>
>>    type 'a t = 'a list
>>
>>    let empty = []
>>    let add l e = e :: l
>> end
>>
>>
>> module type U =
>>    sig
>>
>>      type instance = int
>>      type t
>>
>>      val zero : instance
>>      val one : instance
>>
>>      val empty : t
>>      val do_something : t -> instance -> t
>> end
>>
>>
>> module Make_U (Vb : VB)
>> = struct
>>
>>    type instance = int
>>    type t = instance Vb.t
>>
>>    let zero = 0
>>    let one = 1
>>
>>    let empty = Vb.empty
>>    let do_something ts inst = Vb.add ts inst
>>
>> end
>>
>>
>> module U1 = Make_U ( VB1 )
>>
>> let _ =
>>
>>    let vb0 = VB1.empty in
>>    let vb1 = VB1.add vb0 U1.zero in
>>    let vb2 = U1.do_something vb1 U1.one in
>>    let _ = VB1.add vb2 U1.zero in
>>    ()
>>
>>
>> module type R =
>>    sig
>>
>>      type instance = int
>>      type t
>>
>>      val do_something_else : t -> instance -> t
>> end
>>
>> module Make_R (VI : VB)
>>                (UI : U)
>> = struct
>>
>>    type instance = UI.instance
>>    type t = UI.t
>>
>>    let do_something_else ts inst = UI.do_something ts inst
>>
>> end
>>
>> module R1 = Make_R ( VB1 ) ( U1 )
>>
>>
>> let _ =
>>
>>    let vb0 = VB1.empty in
>>    let vb1 = VB1.add vb0 U1.zero in
>>    let vb2 = R1.do_something_else vb1 U1.one in
>>    let _ = VB1.add vb2 U1.zero in
>>    ()
>>
>>
>> module Make_P (VI : VB)
>>                (UI : U)
>>                (RI : R with type t = UI.t )
>> = struct
>>
>>    type instance = UI.instance
>>    type t = UI.t
>>
>>    let do_something_nice null =
>>      let vb0 = VI.empty in
>>      let vb1 = VI.add vb0 UI.zero in
>>      RI.do_something_else vb1 UI.one
>>
>> end
>>
>> module P1 = Make_P ( U1 ) ( VB1 ) ( R1 )
>>
>> or
>>
>> module P1 = Make_P ( VB1 ) ( U1 ) ( R1 )
>>
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