- zonk_unbound_tyvar tv
- | kind `eqKind` liftedTypeKind || kind `eqKind` openTypeKind
- = putTcTyVar tv voidTy -- Just to avoid creating a new tycon in
- -- this vastly common case
- | otherwise
- = putTcTyVar tv (TyConApp (mk_void_tycon tv kind) [])
- where
- kind = tyVarKind tv
-
- mk_void_tycon tv kind -- Make a new TyCon with the same kind as the
- -- type variable tv. Same name too, apart from
- -- making it start with a colon (sigh)
+ zonk_unbound_tyvar tv = putTcTyVar tv (mkArbitraryType tv)
+
+
+-- When the type checker finds a type variable with no binding,
+-- which means it can be instantiated with an arbitrary type, it
+-- usually instantiates it to Void. Eg.
+--
+-- length []
+-- ===>
+-- length Void (Nil Void)
+--
+-- But in really obscure programs, the type variable might have
+-- a kind other than *, so we need to invent a suitably-kinded type.
+--
+-- This commit uses
+-- Void for kind *
+-- List for kind *->*
+-- Tuple for kind *->...*->*
+--
+-- which deals with most cases. (Previously, it only dealt with
+-- kind *.)
+--
+-- In the other cases, it just makes up a TyCon with a suitable
+-- kind. If this gets into an interface file, anyone reading that
+-- file won't understand it. This is fixable (by making the client
+-- of the interface file make up a TyCon too) but it is tiresome and
+-- never happens, so I am leaving it
+
+mkArbitraryType :: TcTyVar -> Type
+-- Make up an arbitrary type whose kind is the same as the tyvar.
+-- We'll use this to instantiate the (unbound) tyvar.
+mkArbitraryType tv
+ | isAnyTypeKind kind = voidTy -- The vastly common case
+ | otherwise = TyConApp tycon []
+ where
+ kind = tyVarKind tv
+ (args,res) = Type.splitFunTys kind -- Kinds are simple; use Type.splitFunTys
+
+ tycon | kind `eqKind` tyConKind listTyCon -- *->*
+ = listTyCon -- No tuples this size
+
+ | all isTypeKind args && isTypeKind res
+ = tupleTyCon Boxed (length args) -- *-> ... ->*->*
+
+ | otherwise
+ = pprTrace "Urk! Inventing strangely-kinded void TyCon" (ppr tc_name) $
+ mkPrimTyCon tc_name kind 0 [] VoidRep
+ -- Same name as the tyvar, apart from making it start with a colon (sigh)