Difference between revisions of "Orphan instance"
(making the presentation a bit more balanced with more related reading) |
(Either is not an orphan in base 4.6) |
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Say you want to define an alternative instance to an existing instance. This is a bad thing, since if two instances for the same class/type pair are in scope, then you cannot describe in Haskell 98 which instance to use. If you want to use multiple instances for the same class/type, you have to ensure that they are never imported together in a module somewhen. It is almost impossible to assert that, or put differently, it would reduce the composability of libraries considerably. |
Say you want to define an alternative instance to an existing instance. This is a bad thing, since if two instances for the same class/type pair are in scope, then you cannot describe in Haskell 98 which instance to use. If you want to use multiple instances for the same class/type, you have to ensure that they are never imported together in a module somewhen. It is almost impossible to assert that, or put differently, it would reduce the composability of libraries considerably. |
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| − | The <hask>Monad</hask> instance of <hask>Either</hask> is a good example. |
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| − | It is not defined where <hask>Either</hask> is defined, thus all of its <hask>Monad</hask> instances must be orphan. |
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| − | Instead it is defined both in <hask>Control.Monad.Error</hask> of the [[Monad Transformer Library]] |
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| − | and in <hask>Control.Monad.Trans.Error</hask> of its lightweight cousin the 'transformers' package. |
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| − | Since some packages use MTL and others 'transformers' it becomes difficult to use that instance at all, |
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| − | although both instances are equivalent! |
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| − | Practical advice: |
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| − | The [[Exception|explicit-exception]] package with its <hask>Exceptional</hask> might be a better choice to use since it avoids the current problem with orphan Monad instances of <hask>Either</hask>. |
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Actually, non-orphan instances can avoid definition of [[multiple instances]]. For defining an instance you have to import the class and the type and then you will automatically have the according non-orphan instances imported, too. If you want to define a new instance then the compiler will reject it immediately. |
Actually, non-orphan instances can avoid definition of [[multiple instances]]. For defining an instance you have to import the class and the type and then you will automatically have the according non-orphan instances imported, too. If you want to define a new instance then the compiler will reject it immediately. |
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Revision as of 14:07, 21 August 2013
An orphan instance is a type class instance for class C and type T which is neither defined in the module where C is defined nor in the module where T is defined.
Type class instances are special in that they don't have a name and cannot be imported explicitly. This also means that they cannot be excluded explicitly. All instances defined in a module A are imported automatically when importing A, or importing any module that imports A, directly or indirectly.
Say you want to define an alternative instance to an existing instance. This is a bad thing, since if two instances for the same class/type pair are in scope, then you cannot describe in Haskell 98 which instance to use. If you want to use multiple instances for the same class/type, you have to ensure that they are never imported together in a module somewhen. It is almost impossible to assert that, or put differently, it would reduce the composability of libraries considerably.
Actually, non-orphan instances can avoid definition of multiple instances. For defining an instance you have to import the class and the type and then you will automatically have the according non-orphan instances imported, too. If you want to define a new instance then the compiler will reject it immediately.
When Orphan Instances can be useful
It is worth noting that Orphan Instances can be viewed as a mechanism for writing modules of code with a fixed typed interface, but parameterized over the choice of implementation. In this case, Orphan Instances act as a sort of plugin architecture for providing alternative implementations with a uniform interface.
A basic treatment of the relationship between type classes and modules (in the SML sense of modules) can be found at http://www.mpi-sws.org/~dreyer/papers/mtc/main-short.pdf and http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~chak/papers/modules-classes.pdf
See also
- Multiple instances
- Libraries mailing list on Orphan instances can be good
- Ideas on possible compiler warnings for coping with orphan instances
- Libraries mailing list on Relaxin the PVP with regards to adding instances
- Partial Revelation feature of Modula-3 which causes similar problems like Haskell's type class instances