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To: Pal-Kristian Engstad <engstad@naughtydog.com>
Cc: Oleg <oleg_inconnu@myrealbox.com>,
        Oliver Bandel <oliver@first.in-berlin.de>, caml-list@inria.fr
Subject: Re: [Caml-list] Calling a function with a self-defined type as argument
References: <Pine.LNX.3.95.1020822025344.150A-100000@first.in-berlin.de>
	<200208220149.VAA14728@dewberry.cc.columbia.edu>
	<200208211920.09550.engstad@naughtydog.com>
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From: Dimitri Ara <dimitri@nerim.net>
Date: 22 Aug 2002 04:32:07 +0200
In-Reply-To: <200208211920.09550.engstad@naughtydog.com>
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Pal-Kristian Engstad <engstad@naughtydog.com> a écrit :

> Hi,
> 
> I don't know if it is in the FAQ, but a more interesting question is why the 
> compiler cannot deduce the correct type without us having to type in 
> parenthesis, at least in cases where there can be no ambiguity.
> 
> I.e.:
> 
> let addone x = x + 1
> let double x = x * x
> 
> let f x = addone double x     (*** Should the compiler not deduce this? ***)
> let g = addone double         (*** Is this why? ***)

In the general case it can't:

# let f g x = x;;
val f : 'a -> 'b -> 'b = <fun>
# let h x = x;;
val h : 'a -> 'a = <fun>
# (f h) 1;;
- : int = 1
# f (h 1);;
- : '_a -> '_a = <fun>

When there is no ambiguity it could but it would be
expensive, dangerous (because the compiler could find a way to type an
expression which is ill typed according to what you meant) and would
make the sources unreadable.
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