* Re: [Caml-list] reuse of abstract types
2012-05-07 18:15 [Caml-list] reuse of abstract types coste
@ 2012-05-07 20:37 ` Gabriel Scherer
2012-05-08 9:53 ` rossberg
0 siblings, 1 reply; 3+ messages in thread
From: Gabriel Scherer @ 2012-05-07 20:37 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: coste; +Cc: caml-list
> Now I want to design a module Q, with operations using type t. To refer to t in
> the signature of Q, I am obliged to declare a module Mt : MT inside the
> signature
>
> module type QT = sig
> module Mt : MT
> val g : Mt.t -> ....
> end
I don't believe this is the way to go. You could either:
1. not mention MT in this signature, only have an abstract type t, and
enforce this sharing in the module implementation only
module type MT = sig
type t
val f : t -> int
end;;
module type QT = sig
type t
val g : t -> int
end;;
module M : MT = struct
type t = int
let f x = 0
end;;
module Q : (QT with type t = M.t) = struct
type t = M.t
let g x = M.f x
end;;
2. Define QT as a signature component of a functor depending on
a (M : MT); if you're going to define functors anyway, why not.
module type MT = sig
type t
val f : t -> int
end;;
module QT_Fun (M : MT) = struct
module type QT = sig
val g : M.t -> int
end
end;;
module Q_Fun (M : MT) : QT_Fun(M).QT = struct
let g x = M.f x
end;;
Of course, if you only use QT once, you could even define the
signature and the functor at the same time, or not give a name to the
signature at all:
module Q_SameTime (M : MT) = struct
module type QT = sig
val g : M.t -> int
end
module Q : QT = struct
let g x = M.f x
end
end;;
module Q_NoName (M : MT) : sig
val g : M.t -> int
end = struct
let g x = M.f x
end;;
Or not give a name to the signature at all:
>
> Now the module M itself, before Q, because of sharing constraint in Q:
>
> module M : MT = struct
> type t = int
> let f x = ....
> end
>
> And finally the module Q, which must contain a module Mt to respect its
> signature:
>
> module Q : (QT with type Mt.t = M.t) = struct
> module Mt = M
> let g x = ....
> end
>
> As generally my modules are functors I will probably rather write the module
> QF:
>
> module QF (Mx:MT) : (QT with type Mt.t = Mx.t) = struct
> module Mt = Mx
> let g x = ...
> end
>
> And finally instanciate QF:
>
> module Q2 = QF (M)
>
> The declaration of Mt in QT and QF is here only to reference the type t. It
> seems natural that QF be parameterized by Mx:MT as it will certainly use
> operations of M, but what seems artificial is the declaration of Mt in the
> signature QT (and hence in the functor QF). Intuitively, I would say that the
> signature QT refers to the type t declared in the signature MT, not in the
> structure M.
> Is there a simpler way to do this ? I suspect my solution is too complicate,
> but I couldn't find better...
On Mon, May 7, 2012 at 8:15 PM, <coste@irit.fr> wrote:
> Hello,
> While using the module system to abstract types, I often encounter the problem
> to reuse in a signature an abstract type declared in another signature. Let's
> take an example.
> I have a module M, which declares an abstract type t, with operations using
> this type.
>
> module type MT = sig
> type t
> val f : t -> ....
> end
>
> Now I want to design a module Q, with operations using type t. To refer to t in
> the signature of Q, I am obliged to declare a module Mt : MT inside the
> signature
>
> module type QT = sig
> module Mt : MT
> val g : Mt.t -> ....
> end
>
> Now the module M itself, before Q, because of sharing constraint in Q:
>
> module M : MT = struct
> type t = int
> let f x = ....
> end
>
> And finally the module Q, which must contain a module Mt to respect its
> signature:
>
> module Q : (QT with type Mt.t = M.t) = struct
> module Mt = M
> let g x = ....
> end
>
> As generally my modules are functors I will probably rather write the module
> QF:
>
> module QF (Mx:MT) : (QT with type Mt.t = Mx.t) = struct
> module Mt = Mx
> let g x = ...
> end
>
> And finally instanciate QF:
>
> module Q2 = QF (M)
>
> The declaration of Mt in QT and QF is here only to reference the type t. It
> seems natural that QF be parameterized by Mx:MT as it will certainly use
> operations of M, but what seems artificial is the declaration of Mt in the
> signature QT (and hence in the functor QF). Intuitively, I would say that the
> signature QT refers to the type t declared in the signature MT, not in the
> structure M.
> Is there a simpler way to do this ? I suspect my solution is too complicate,
> but I couldn't find better...
>
> --
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