[m-dev.] Type class instance constraints

[Julien Fischer]

On Tue, 22 May 2007, Ralph Becket wrote:

> We currently have a number of restrictions on what can appear in an
> instance declaration, namely that
>
> - each parameter takes the form type_name(TypeVar1, TypeVar2, ...)
> - all TypeVars are distinct.
>
> These restrictions are there to prevent ambiguity with overlapping
> instance declarations.

They are also there to ensure that typechecking terminates.

> Given that is the case, why can't we lift both restrictions and simply check
> for ambiguity at link time?  It would make the type class system much more
> useful.  Currently the first restriction means you have to define no-tag
> types all over the place and the second restriction prevents much useful
> polymorphism.

Mark, is lifting these restrictions primarily a typechecking issue or
an RTTI issue?  (I don't know that much about the former, but the latter,
particulary for the second restriction, shouldn't be too much of a
problem.)

Julien.
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