[m-dev.] User defined comparison and equality

Fergus Henderson fjh at cs.mu.OZ.AU
Thu Apr 10 15:02:56 AEST 2003


On 10-Apr-2003, Ralph Becket <rafe at cs.mu.OZ.AU> wrote:
> If a type has user-defined comparison, are unifications in the
> in = in is semidet mode implemented as calls to compare((=))?

Only if the type does not have a user-defined equality.

> Otherwise it seems to me that we can have A \= B but
> compare((=), A, B).

Yes, that is a correct interpretation of the current language reference
manual.

> The requirement that this not be the case is not listed as a
> programmer obligation in the reference manual,

Right -- currently there is no such obligation.

Should there be?

-- 
Fergus Henderson <fjh at cs.mu.oz.au>  |  "I have always known that the pursuit
The University of Melbourne         |  of excellence is a lethal habit"
WWW: <http://www.cs.mu.oz.au/~fjh>  |     -- the last words of T. S. Garp.
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