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Haskell Cheat Sheet

This document provides an introduction to types in Haskell. It discusses: 1. Basic types like Bool, Char, String, Int, Float and how values are grouped into types. 2. How Haskell uses type inference to automatically determine the type of every expression at compile time to catch errors. 3. Common types like lists and tuples that organize sequences of values. 4. Function types and how Haskell uses currying to allow functions to take arguments one at a time. 5. Polymorphic types that contain type variables, and overloaded functions that depend on type classes.

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Callie Jia Li
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
231 views

Haskell Cheat Sheet

This document provides an introduction to types in Haskell. It discusses: 1. Basic types like Bool, Char, String, Int, Float and how values are grouped into types. 2. How Haskell uses type inference to automatically determine the type of every expression at compile time to catch errors. 3. Common types like lists and tuples that organize sequences of values. 4. Function types and how Haskell uses currying to allow functions to take arguments one at a time. 5. Polymorphic types that contain type variables, and overloaded functions that depend on type classes.

Uploaded by

Callie Jia Li
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PROGRAMMING IN HASKELL

CS-205 - Chapter 3 - Types and Classes

0
What is a Type?

A type is a name for a collection of related values.


For example, in Haskell the basic type

Bool

contains the two logical values:

False True

1
Type Errors

Applying a function to one or more arguments of


the wrong type is called a type error.

> 1 + False
Error

1 is a number and False is a logical


value, but + requires two numbers.
2
Types in Haskell

If evaluating an expression e would produce a


value of type t, then e has type t, written

e :: t

Every well formed expression has a type, which


can be automatically calculated at compile time
using a process called type inference.

3
All type errors are found at compile time, which
makes programs safer and faster by removing
the need for type checks at run time.

In GHCi, the :type command calculates the type


of an expression, without evaluating it:

> not False


True

> :type not False


not False :: Bool
4
Basic Types

Haskell has a number of basic types, including:

Bool - logical values


Char - single characters
String - strings of characters
Int - fixed-precision integers
Integer - arbitrary-precision integers
Float - floating-point numbers
5
List Types

A list is sequence of values of the same type:

[False,True,False] :: [Bool]

[’a’,’b’,’c’,’d’] :: [Char]

In general:

[t] is the type of lists with elements of type t.

6
Note:

The type of a list says nothing about its length:

[False,True] :: [Bool]

[False,True,False] :: [Bool]

The type of the elements is unrestricted. For


example, we can have lists of lists:

[[’a’],[’b’,’c’]] :: [[Char]]

7
Tuple Types

A tuple is a sequence of values of different types:

(False,True) :: (Bool,Bool)

(False,’a’,True) :: (Bool,Char,Bool)

In general:

(t1,t2,…,tn) is the type of n-tuples whose ith


components have type ti for any i in 1…n.
8
Note:

The type of a tuple encodes its size:

(False,True) :: (Bool,Bool)

(False,True,False) :: (Bool,Bool,Bool)

The type of the components is unrestricted:

(’a’,(False,’b’)) :: (Char,(Bool,Char))

(True,[’a’,’b’]) :: (Bool,[Char])
9
Function Types

A function is a mapping from values of one type


to values of another type:

not :: Bool  Bool

isDigit :: Char  Bool

In general:

t1  t2 is the type of functions that map


values of type t1 to values to type t2.
10
Note:

The arrow  is typed at the keyboard as ->.

The argument and result types are unrestricted.


For example, functions with multiple arguments
or results are possible using lists or tuples:

add :: (Int,Int)  Int


add (x,y) = x+y

zeroto :: Int  [Int]


zeroto n = [0..n]
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Curried Functions

Functions with multiple arguments are also possible


by returning functions as results:

add’ :: Int  (Int  Int)


add’ x y = x+y

add’ takes an integer x and returns a function


add’ x. In turn, this function takes an integer
y and returns the result x+y.
12
Note:

add and add’ produce the same final result, but


add takes its two arguments at the same time,
whereas add’ takes them one at a time:

add :: (Int,Int)  Int

add’ :: Int  (Int  Int)

Functions that take their arguments one at a


time are called curried functions, celebrating
the work of Haskell Curry on such functions.
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Functions with more than two arguments can be
curried by returning nested functions:

mult :: Int  (Int  (Int  Int))


mult x y z = x*y*z

mult takes an integer x and returns a function


mult x, which in turn takes an integer y and
returns a function mult x y, which finally takes
an integer z and returns the result x*y*z.
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Why is Currying Useful?

Curried functions are more flexible than functions


on tuples, because useful functions can often be
made by partially applying a curried function.

For example:

add’ 1 :: Int  Int

take 5 :: [Int]  [Int]

drop 5 :: [Int]  [Int]


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Currying Conventions

To avoid excess parentheses when using curried


functions, two simple conventions are adopted:

The arrow  associates to the right.

Int  Int  Int  Int

Means Int  (Int  (Int  Int)).


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As a consequence, it is then natural for function
application to associate to the left.

mult x y z

Means ((mult x) y) z.

Unless tupling is explicitly required, all functions in


Haskell are normally defined in curried form.
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Polymorphic Functions

A function is called polymorphic (“of many forms”)


if its type contains one or more type variables.

length :: [a]  Int

for any type a, length takes a list of


values of type a and returns an integer.

18
Note:

Type variables can be instantiated to different


types in different circumstances:

> length [False,True]


a = Bool
2

> length [1,2,3,4]


4 a = Int

Type variables must begin with a lower-case


letter, and are usually named a, b, c, etc.
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Many of the functions defined in the standard
prelude are polymorphic. For example:

fst :: (a,b)  a

head :: [a]  a

take :: Int  [a]  [a]

zip :: [a]  [b]  [(a,b)]

id :: a  a

20
Overloaded Functions

A polymorphic function is called overloaded if its


type contains one or more class constraints.

sum :: Num a  [a]  a

for any numeric type a, sum


takes a list of values of type a
and returns a value of type a.
21
Note:

Constrained type variables can be instantiated to


any types that satisfy the constraints:

> sum [1,2,3] a = Int


6

> sum [1.1,2.2,3.3] a = Float


6.6

> sum [’a’,’b’,’c’] Char is not a


ERROR numeric type
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Haskell has a number of type classes, including:

Num - Numeric types


Eq - Equality types
Ord - Ordered types

For example:

(+) :: Num a  a  a  a
(==) :: Eq a  a  a  Bool
(<) :: Ord a  a  a  Bool
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Hints and Tips

When defining a new function in Haskell, it is


useful to begin by writing down its type;

Within a script, it is good practice to state the


type of every new function defined;

When stating the types of polymorphic functions


that use numbers, equality or orderings, take
care to include the necessary class constraints.

24
Exercises

(1) What are the types of the following values?

[’a’,’b’,’c’]

(’a’,’b’,’c’)

[(False,’0’),(True,’1’)]

([False,True],[’0’,’1’])

[tail,init,reverse]

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(2) What are the types of the following functions?

second xs = head (tail xs)

swap (x,y) = (y,x)

pair x y = (x,y)

double x = x*2

palindrome xs = reverse xs == xs

twice f x = f (f x)

(3) Check your answers using GHCi.


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