[mercury-users] Type class usage question

[Peter Hawkins]

Hi...
On Mon, 5 Apr 2004 11:05 am, Ralph Becket wrote:
> Hi Peter,
>
> yes, unfortunately type classes are not yet quite as easy to use as one
> would like.  Once we get around to adding functional dependencies and
> constructor classes this will change.  But for now, here's a sketch of
>
> a solution.  Part of the trick is to use more than one typeclass:

That fixed my immediate problem. Of course the code is now quite ugly but I 
was able to morally cleanse myself with a few '% XXX: This is ugly' comments.

I have another question:

What's wrong with this?

:- module test.
:- interface.
:- import_module set.
:- typeclass foo(C) where [].
:- instance foo(set(int)) where [].
:- implementation.

Compiling this gives:
Error: expected type in instance declaration to be a functor with variables as 
args: set(int).
test.m:001: In module `test':
test.m:001:   warning: module `set'
test.m:001:   is imported in the interface, but is not
test.m:001:   used in the interface.
For more information, try recompiling with `-E'.

But if I change the instance declaration to this:
:- type set_of_int == set(int).
:- instance foo(set_of_int) where [].

the code compiles.

Why? If this is indeed valid why doesn't the compiler accept the (equivalent) 
first form?

=)
Peter

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