[m-users.] Question regarding predicates stored in existential data types.

[Philip White]

Hello,

below is the type I have:

:- type flag(T)
    --->    flag( 
                flag_doc :: string, 
                flag_name :: string,
                flag_kind :: flag_kind(T) 
            )
    ;       return_flag(T)
    ;       some [A] map1_flag(flag(A), pred(A::in, T::out) is det)
    ;       some [A, B]	map2_flag(flag(A), flag(B), pred(A::in, B::in, T::out) is det).

When I deconstruct a value in the map2_flag case, and then try to call
it, I'm getting the error:

variable F [the variable that corresponds to the predicate part the
value] has instiatedness `ground', expecting higher-order pred inst of
arity 3.

Is the problem that 'ground' is not the same as pred(in, in, out) is
det? I tried making a new inst for flag that makes everything ground,
except the predicate part, for which it uses a predicate instantiation.
However, this turned into a mess of errors, so I'm not sure if I'm even
on the right track.

One thing I don't understand is why there needs to be a separate kind
of inst predicates. Why are ground and free not enough? Perhaps this
misunderstanding is the root the problem here?

Thanks,
Philip