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[GHC] #675: Bad error message in GHCi: msg#00166

lang.haskell.glasgow.bugs

Subject: [GHC] #675: Bad error message in GHCi

#675: Bad error message in GHCi
--------------------------------+-------------------------------------------
Reporter: guest | Owner:
Type: feature request | Status: new
Priority: normal | Milestone:
Component: GHCi | Version: 6.4.1
Severity: normal | Keywords:
Os: Unknown | Difficulty: Unknown
Architecture: Unknown |
--------------------------------+-------------------------------------------
If
{{{
import Test.QuickCheck

prop_eq_reflexive x = x == x
}}}
is loaded into GHCi the following can be observed:
{{{
*BadErrorMessage> quickCheck prop_eq_reflexive

Top level:
No instance for (Show (IO ()))
arising from use of `print' at Top level
Probable fix: add an instance declaration for (Show (IO ()))
In a 'do' expression: print it
}}}

Hugs gives the more understandable error message
{{{
BadErrorMessage> quickCheck prop_eq_reflexive
ERROR - Unresolved overloading
*** Type : (Eq a, Show a, Arbitrary a) => IO ()
*** Expression : quickCheck prop_eq_reflexive
}}}

`:t` in GHCi gives an even more understandable error message:
{{{
*BadErrorMessage> :t quickCheck prop_eq_reflexive

<interactive>:1:0:
Ambiguous type variable `a' in the constraints:
`Arbitrary a' arising from use of `quickCheck' at
<interactive>:1:0-9
`Eq a' arising from use of `prop_eq_reflexive' at <interactive>:1
:11-27
`Show a' arising from use of `quickCheck' at <interactive>:1:0-9
Probable fix: add a type signature that fixes these type variable(s)
}}}

(In the introductory FP courses at Chalmers we use Quick``Check from the
start, so this error message bites students in the first week.)

--
Ticket URL: <http://hackage.haskell.org/trac/ghc/ticket/675>
GHC <http://www.haskell.org/ghc/>
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