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Bounded polymorphism problem

Posted: 17 May 2019 15:54
by Martin Meyer
Hello Thomas,

this works (in build 902):

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class predicates     p : () -> Dom         where Dom supports integer. clauses     p() = 1 + 0.
But with these variants there is some problem:

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class predicates     p1 : () -> Dom         where Dom supports integer. clauses     p1() = 1.  % raises: 1 is not in the domain 'Dom'   class predicates     p2 : (integer) -> Dom         where Dom supports integer. clauses     p2(X) = X.  % raises: The expression has type '::integer', which is incompatible with the type 'Dom'

Re: Bounded polymorphism problem

Posted: 18 May 2019 22:07
by Thomas Linder Puls
Thank you, we will look at it.

Re: Bounded polymorphism problem

Posted: 28 May 2019 13:03
by Thomas Linder Puls
p1 is clearly a bug.

But p2 is correct, which you can see from this example:

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class main   domains     dom = integer [-10..10].   predicates     p : (integer) -> dom.   end class main   %==   implement main   clauses     p(X) = X.   end implement main
Here dom is an actual type 'supports' integer. And that gives the error, because the conversion would go in the wrong direction.

Re: Bounded polymorphism problem

Posted: 29 May 2019 0:17
by Martin Meyer
Analogous p1 could be proofed correct by:

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class main   domains     dom = integer [2..10].   predicates     p : () -> dom.   end class main   %==   implement main   clauses     p() = 1.   end implement main
I think when type checking is done that way, for any use of bounded polymorphism on an output parameter, a type checking error could be proofed correct. Thus I expect that the type checking for output parameters is done "the other way around".

I suppose these declarations are equivalent (because there is only a single parameter of type Dom):

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class predicates     pA : (Dom)         where Dom supports integer.   class predicates     pB : (integer).
Likewise I would expect that in the case of an output parameter these are equivalent:

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class predicates     qA : (Dom [out])         where Dom supports integer.   class predicates     qB : (integer [out]).
And, when type checking is done this way, the declaration of p2 should be equivalent to (and should thus compile):

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class predicates     p2B : (integer) -> integer.

Re: Bounded polymorphism problem

Posted: 29 May 2019 9:35
by Thomas Linder Puls
I fully agree regarding pA.

But qA is a completely different story.

With your bound you have declared a predicate which given any subtype Dom of integer returns a value in that type.

Such a predicate is very hard to implement (without having access to the actual type of Dom).

The statement about qA would be correct if the bound was in the other direction:

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...         where integer supports Dom.           % illegal: Visual Prolog does not support bounds in that direction
I am not sure if a mathematic reference helps or interest you, but... The type of a predicate is contravariant in the types of input arguments, and covariant in type of output arguments and the return type. This means that all sub/super type considerations are the completely opposite (dual) for these kinds of arguments.

Re: Bounded polymorphism problem

Posted: 29 May 2019 18:58
by Martin Meyer
Yes, covariant/contravariant is a very good hint. I had not known these terms. You are always a great source of information.

Like you said, a predicate type is covariant in the type of its output arguments. It seems however that by the semantics "a predicate which given any subtype Dom of integer returns a value in that type" of where Dom supports integer, predicate qA is treated contravariant in the Dom output argument.

The result of contravariance in an output argument is that bounded polymorphism is not applicable to output parameters at all. I have tried all (below three) cases to apply it to object output arguments, but the compiler refuses them all:

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interface superType end interface superType   class superType : superType end class superType   implement superType end implement superType   %===   interface subType supports superType end interface subType   class subType : subType end class subType   implement subType end implement subType   %===   implement main   class predicates     oA : (Type O [out])         where Type supports superType. clauses     oA(O) :-         O = subType::new().  % super/sub   %---   class predicates     oB : (Type O [out])         where Type supports subType. clauses     oB(O) :-         O = superType::new().  % sub/super   %---   class predicates     oC : (Type O [out])         where Type supports superType. clauses     oC(O) :-         O = superType::new().  % super/super
Hence my conclusion is: With the current semantics (the one you stated) p from my initial examples is the bug, while the errors in p1 and p2 are correct. But the semantics should be changed, so that bounded polymorphism can also be used on output parameters.

Re: Bounded polymorphism problem

Posted: 30 May 2019 13:52
by Martin Meyer
I said "The result of contravariance in an output argument is that bounded polymorphism is not applicable to output parameters at all." But now I realized, that is wrong because it works this way:

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class predicates     pInOut : (Dom, Dom [out])         where Dom supports integer. clauses     pInOut(X, X).
Thus my above conclusion is not correct either. Indeed the current semantics is sensible also for output parameters.

Even in the p example the compiler is not doing very wrong. Because the type mismatch will be detected at runtime:

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class predicates     p : () -> Dom         where Dom supports integer. clauses     p() = 1 + 0.   domains     dom = integer [2..10].   clauses     run() :-         hasDomain(dom, X),         X = p(), % raises runtime error: The value '1' is not in range [2 .. 10] of the domain 'main::dom'         stdIO::write(X).
So, my new conclusion is: Bounded polymorphism is working fine, thank you for patience and support!