[project @ 2000-02-10 15:39:39 by simonpj]

[ghc-hetmet.git] / ghc / compiler / rename / RnIfaces.lhs

diff --git a/ghc/compiler/rename/RnIfaces.lhs b/ghc/compiler/rename/RnIfaces.lhs
index a46eb5b..fbf8df1 100644 (file)
--- a/ghc/compiler/rename/RnIfaces.lhs
+++ b/ghc/compiler/rename/RnIfaces.lhs
@@ -624,6 +624,13 @@ lookupFixity name
        Nothing                  -> returnRn defaultFixity
 
   | otherwise  -- Imported
+      -- For imported names, we have to get their fixities by doing a loadHomeInterface,
+      -- and consulting the Ifaces that comes back from that, because the interface
+      -- file for the Name might not have been loaded yet.  Why not?  Suppose you import module A,
+      -- which exports a function 'f', which is defined in module B.  Then B isn't loaded
+      -- right away (after all, it's possible that nothing from B will be used).
+      -- When we come across a use of 'f', we need to know its fixity, and it's then,
+      -- and only then, that we load B.hi.  That is what's happening here.
   = loadHomeInterface doc name         `thenRn` \ ifaces ->
     case lookupNameEnv (iFixes ifaces) name of
        Just (FixitySig _ fix _) -> returnRn fix