Linear types and -fdefer-type-errors
Linear types combined with -fdefer-type-errors
show a poor error message.
ghci> :set -XLinearTypes
ghci> ap :: (a -> b) -> a %m -> b; ap f x = f x
<interactive>:2:35: error:
• Couldn't match type ‘m’ with ‘'Many’
arising from multiplicity of ‘x’
‘m’ is a rigid type variable bound by
the type signature for:
ap :: forall a b (m :: GHC.Types.Multiplicity).
(a -> b) -> a %m -> b
at <interactive>:2:1-27
• In an equation for ‘ap’: ap f x = f x
• Relevant bindings include
ap :: (a -> b) -> a %m -> b (bound at <interactive>:2:30)
ghci> :set -fdefer-type-errors
ghci> ap :: (a -> b) -> a %m -> b; ap f x = f x
<interactive>:4:30: error:
Multiplicity coercions are currently not supported (see GHC #19517)
<interactive>:4:30: error:
Multiplicity coercions are currently not supported (see GHC #19517)
The error message is technically correct, but -fdefer-type-errors
downgrades the type mismatch to a warning. The warning is not shown, while it contains important information.
Until #19517 is done, when -fdefer-type-errors
is on, we should compile multiplicity coercions to runtime errors and convert the error to a warning.
Also make the message more user-friendly.