Lambda the Ultimate

inactiveTopic FunDeps (Type classes, databases and more)
started 4/16/2001; 1:46:33 AM - last post 4/16/2001; 4:13:09 AM
andrew cooke - FunDeps (Type classes, databases and more)  blueArrow
4/16/2001; 1:46:33 AM (reads: 1562, responses: 1)
FunDeps (Type classes, databases and more)
A well-written paper that explains some interesting ideas.

Type classes in Haskell allow programmers to define functions that can be used on a set of different types, with potentially different implementations in each case. [...] A commonly requested extension [...] has many potentially useful applications. [...] A particular novelty of this paper is the application of ideas from the theory of relational detabases to th edesign of type systems.

I think you could understand and enjoy (much of) this even if you don't know Haskell. Apart from the technical ideas it includes a survey of other approaches that illustrates the kind of thing computer scientists spend their time thinking about and how current type systems are progressing. A great paper!
Posted to theory by andrew cooke on 4/16/01; 1:47:39 AM

andrew cooke - Re: FunDeps (Type classes, databases and more)  blueArrow
4/16/2001; 4:13:09 AM (reads: 582, responses: 0)
OK, it might be better if at the top of the second page when he's discussing predicates he didn't choose an equality operator (ie a predicate of a completely different kind!) as his example... :-)