Re: Re[2]: [Haskell-cafe] Re: Error message reform (was: Strange type error with associated type synonyms)
On Wed, 2009-05-27 at 23:59 -0400, John Dorsey wrote: > There was one hang-up; it wasn't at all clear which referred to the term, > and which referred to the context. (Really both types are inferred.) This > stopped bothering me when I decided it didn't matter which was which, and I > could generally find the problem pretty quickly just knowing the location > and the types involved. > > Of course, I can see how the messages are probably much less useful to > non-native speakers, and that's quite important. Something along the lines > of "inferred type for term, but expected type in > context". As a native English speaker myself, I've also found it awkward because both types are inferred, I suppose. The alternate format you've suggested would make it much more clear, in my opinion, and I strongly feel that the current version should be replaced with yours. Jeff Wheeler ___ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe
Re: Re[2]: [Haskell-cafe] Re: Error message reform (was: Strange type error with associated type synonyms)
> I like the "expected/inferred" vocabulary. Maybe it comes from being a > native English speaker, but to me, it says "this is what we expected > to get, but instead (through type inference), we got this type for > this term". As another native English speaker, I found "expected/inferred" very intuitive when I was new to GHC, and to Haskell. I even think that "expected/inferred" helped me form my intuition about Haskell's type inference. There was one hang-up; it wasn't at all clear which referred to the term, and which referred to the context. (Really both types are inferred.) This stopped bothering me when I decided it didn't matter which was which, and I could generally find the problem pretty quickly just knowing the location and the types involved. Of course, I can see how the messages are probably much less useful to non-native speakers, and that's quite important. Something along the lines of "inferred type for term, but expected type in context". John ___ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe
Re: Re[2]: [Haskell-cafe] Re: Error message reform (was: Strange type error with associated type synonyms)
On Wed, May 27, 2009 at 3:24 PM, Bulat Ziganshin wrote: > Hello Max, > > Thursday, May 28, 2009, 2:14:19 AM, you wrote: > >>> I absolutely agree about expected/inferred. I always forget which is >>> which, because I can figure both could apply to each. > >> That's actually true for me too. When you say it like that, I remember >> times when I've had the same confusion. > > it's why i asked beginners. it seems that we all go through times > when ghc errmsgs looks cryptic but then we start to live with it and > forget the first period > > actually, i don't have much problems with errrmsgs now, but trying to > grok how i interpret them i've found that i mainly use *position* > part of message, it's enough for me most times :) > > > -- > Best regards, > Bulat mailto:bulat.zigans...@gmail.com > Hi, I like the "expected/inferred" vocabulary. Maybe it comes from being a native English speaker, but to me, it says "this is what we expected to get, but instead (through type inference), we got this type for this term". Of course, I've also been reading GHC error messages for a while, so I've gotten used to understanding what they mean. When I was new, I had more of a problem...but I'm not sure you can really eliminate that. Everything takes practice. :) Alex ___ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe
Re[2]: [Haskell-cafe] Re: Error message reform (was: Strange type error with associated type synonyms)
Hello Max, Thursday, May 28, 2009, 2:14:19 AM, you wrote: >> I absolutely agree about expected/inferred. I always forget which is >> which, because I can figure both could apply to each. > That's actually true for me too. When you say it like that, I remember > times when I've had the same confusion. it's why i asked beginners. it seems that we all go through times when ghc errmsgs looks cryptic but then we start to live with it and forget the first period actually, i don't have much problems with errrmsgs now, but trying to grok how i interpret them i've found that i mainly use *position* part of message, it's enough for me most times :) -- Best regards, Bulatmailto:bulat.zigans...@gmail.com ___ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe
Re[2]: [Haskell-cafe] Re: Error message reform (was: Strange type error with associated type synonyms)
Hello Jeff, Thursday, May 28, 2009, 2:03:30 AM, you wrote: > I absolutely agree about expected/inferred. I always forget which is > which, because I can figure both could apply to each. thank you, it's what i meant! compiler infers types of both caller and its argument and then expect to see types inferred. these two words are actually describe two stages of process, not two opposite processes! -- Best regards, Bulatmailto:bulat.zigans...@gmail.com ___ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe
