but for a GADT the arguments to the type constructor can be arbitrary monotypes.
For example, in the <literal>Term</literal> data
type above, the type of each constructor must end with <literal>Term ty</literal>, but
-the <literal>ty</literal> may not be a type variable (e.g. the <literal>Lit</literal>
+the <literal>ty</literal> need not be a type variable (e.g. the <literal>Lit</literal>
constructor).
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
+It's is permitted to declare an ordinary algebraic data type using GADT-style syntax.
+What makes a GADT into a GADT is not the syntax, but rather the presence of data constructors
+whose result type is not just <literal>T a b</literal>.
+</para></listitem>
+
+<listitem><para>
You cannot use a <literal>deriving</literal> clause for a GADT; only for
an ordinary data type.
</para></listitem>
</programlisting>
</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>
+When pattern-matching against data constructors drawn from a GADT,
+for example in a <literal>case</literal> expression, the following rules apply:
+<itemizedlist>
+<listitem><para>The type of the scrutinee must be rigid.</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>The type of the result of the <literal>case</literal> expression must be rigid.</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>The type of any free variable mentioned in any of
+the <literal>case</literal> alternatives must be rigid.</para></listitem>
+</itemizedlist>
+A type is "rigid" if it is completely known to the compiler at its binding site. The easiest
+way to ensure that a variable a rigid type is to give it a type signature.
+</para></listitem>
+
</itemizedlist>
</para>
don't recommend using this approach with GHC.</para>
</sect2>
- <sect2 id="deprecated-pragma">
- <title>DEPRECATED pragma</title>
- <indexterm><primary>DEPRECATED</primary>
- </indexterm>
+ <sect2 id="warning-deprecated-pragma">
+ <title>WARNING and DEPRECATED pragmas</title>
+ <indexterm><primary>WARNING</primary></indexterm>
+ <indexterm><primary>DEPRECATED</primary></indexterm>
- <para>The DEPRECATED pragma lets you specify that a particular
- function, class, or type, is deprecated. There are two
- forms.
+ <para>The WARNING pragma allows you to attach an arbitrary warning
+ to a particular function, class, or type.
+ A DEPRECATED pragma lets you specify that
+ a particular function, class, or type is deprecated.
+ There are two ways of using these pragmas.
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
- <para>You can deprecate an entire module thus:</para>
+ <para>You can work on an entire module thus:</para>
<programlisting>
module Wibble {-# DEPRECATED "Use Wobble instead" #-} where
...
</programlisting>
+ <para>Or:</para>
+<programlisting>
+ module Wibble {-# WARNING "This is an unstable interface." #-} where
+ ...
+</programlisting>
<para>When you compile any module that import
<literal>Wibble</literal>, GHC will print the specified
message.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
- <para>You can deprecate a function, class, type, or data constructor, with the
- following top-level declaration:</para>
+ <para>You can attach a warning to a function, class, type, or data constructor, with the
+ following top-level declarations:</para>
<programlisting>
{-# DEPRECATED f, C, T "Don't use these" #-}
+ {-# WARNING unsafePerformIO "This is unsafe; I hope you know what you're doing" #-}
</programlisting>
<para>When you compile any module that imports and uses any
of the specified entities, GHC will print the specified
message.</para>
- <para> You can only deprecate entities declared at top level in the module
+ <para> You can only attach to entities declared at top level in the module
being compiled, and you can only use unqualified names in the list of
- entities being deprecated. A capitalised name, such as <literal>T</literal>
+ entities. A capitalised name, such as <literal>T</literal>
refers to <emphasis>either</emphasis> the type constructor <literal>T</literal>
<emphasis>or</emphasis> the data constructor <literal>T</literal>, or both if
- both are in scope. If both are in scope, there is currently no way to deprecate
- one without the other (c.f. fixities <xref linkend="infix-tycons"/>).</para>
+ both are in scope. If both are in scope, there is currently no way to
+ specify one without the other (c.f. fixities
+ <xref linkend="infix-tycons"/>).</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
- Any use of the deprecated item, or of anything from a deprecated
- module, will be flagged with an appropriate message. However,
- deprecations are not reported for
- (a) uses of a deprecated function within its defining module, and
- (b) uses of a deprecated function in an export list.
+ Warnings and deprecations are not reported for
+ (a) uses within the defining module, and
+ (b) uses in an export list.
The latter reduces spurious complaints within a library
in which one module gathers together and re-exports
the exports of several others.
</para>
<para>You can suppress the warnings with the flag
- <option>-fno-warn-deprecations</option>.</para>
+ <option>-fno-warn-warnings-deprecations</option>.</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="inline-noinline-pragma">