| Twenty years later, must we really settle for primitive modulo-word-size
| arithmetic as the default?
|
| And many others support Integer over Int as the default default.
|
| So do I, if it's done right. But we already decided that doing it right
| is too hard for Haskell 98; it will have to wait for Haskell 2.
I don't remember seeing any argument that making Integer the default is
hard. The main argument against it has been that by default some
programs would run more slowly than they do now. To this the main
answer has been: maybe so, but at least they will give the right answer.
If you *really* want the wrong answer -- and quickly! -- you can
always specify Int.
Another aspect of your comment that troubles me is the strong
implication that if the default were Integer, things would not be `done
right'. Presumably you mean that it would be painful to make use of a
Prelude with Int-based standard functions? If so, then the current
design will lead to double frustration: (1) some programs will give
bizarre answers because of modulo-word-size arithmetic; (2) this will
lead programmers to request Integer as the explicit default, only to
discover that things are no longer `done right'.
Well that's almost 255 words, so I'd better stop now in case someone's
8-bit mailer crashes. :-)
Colin R
