Point free version for readMaybe - haskell

I want to write a function to read an Int without do notation. It works (see below), but I was wondering if it the bit around readMaybe can be written in point free form (or cleaned up a bit in some other way)?
main :: IO ()
main = getLine >>= (\x -> return $ (readMaybe x :: Maybe Int)) >>= print

Step 1: Replace the lambda with its pointfree equivalent:
main :: IO ()
main = getLine >>= return . (readMaybe :: String -> Maybe Int) >>= print
Step 2: Replace m >>= return . f with f <$> m:
main :: IO ()
main = (readMaybe :: String -> Maybe Int) <$> getLine >>= print
Step 3: Replace f <$> m >>= g with m >>= g . f:
main :: IO ()
main = getLine >>= print . (readMaybe :: String -> Maybe Int)
Step 4: Use a type application instead of writing out a long, awkward type:
{-# LANGUAGE TypeApplications #-}
main :: IO ()
main = getLine >>= print . readMaybe #Int
As an alternative to using <$> in steps 2 and 3, you can accomplish the same with just the monad laws, like this (picking up after step 1):
Replace m >>= f >>= g with m >>= \x -> f x >>= g (associativity):
main :: IO ()
main = getLine >>= \x -> (return . (readMaybe :: String -> Maybe Int)) x >>= print
Simplify the . away:
main :: IO ()
main = getLine >>= \x -> return ((readMaybe :: String -> Maybe Int) x) >>= print
Replace return x >>= f with f x (left identity):
main :: IO ()
main = getLine >>= \x -> print ((readMaybe :: String -> Maybe Int) x)
Now just replace that new lambda with its pointfree equivalent, and you end up in the exact same place as step 3.

Related

Why doesn't this simple composition work?

I was recently in need of putting head in between two monadic operations. Here's the SSCCE:
module Main where
f :: IO [Int]
f = return [1..5]
g :: Int -> IO ()
g = print
main = do
putStrLn "g <$> head <$> f"
g <$> head <$> f
putStrLn "g . head <$> f"
g . head <$> f
putStrLn "head <$> f >>= g"
head <$> f >>= g
This program is well-formed and compiles without warnings. However, only one version out of 3 above works1. Why is that?
And specifically, what would be the best way to link f and g together with head in the middle? I ended up using the 3rd one (in the form of do notation), but I don't really like it, since it should be a trivial one-liner2.
1 Spoiler alert: the 3rd one is the only one that prints 1; the other two are silent, both under runhaskell and repl.
2 I do realize that those are all one-liners, but the order of operations feels really confusing in the only one that works.
Probably the best way to write this is:
f >>= g . head
or in a more verbose form:
f >>= (g . head)
so we basically perform an fmap on the value for f (we thus take the head of the values wrapped in the IO monad), and then we pass then to g, like:
(head <$> f) >>= g
is semantically the same.
But now what happens if we use g <$> head <$> f? Let us first analyze the types:
f :: IO [Int]
g :: Int -> IO ()
(<$>) :: Functor m => (a -> b) -> m a -> m b
(I used m here to avoid confusion with the f function)
The canonical form of this is:
((<$>) ((<$>) g head) f)
The second (<$>) takes a g :: Int -> IO () and head :: [c] -> c as parameters, so that means that a ~ Int, b ~ IO (), and m ~ (->) [c]. So the result is:
(<$>) g head :: (->) [c] (IO ())
or less verbose:
g <$> head :: [c] -> IO ()
The first (<$>) function thus takes as parameters g <$> head :: [c] -> IO (), and IO [Int], so that means that m ~ IO, a ~ [Int], c ~ Int, b ~ IO (), and hence we obtain the type:
(<$>) (g <$> head) f :: IO (IO ())
We thus do not perform any real action: we fmap the [Int] list to an IO action (that is wrapped in the IO). You could see it as return (print 1): you do not "evaluate" the print 1, but you return that wrapped in an IO.
You can of course "absorb" the outer IO here, and then use the inner IO, like:
evalIO :: IO (IO f) -> IO f
evalIO res = do
f <- res
f
or shorter:
evalIO :: IO (IO f) -> IO f
evalIO res = res >>= id
(this can be generalized to all sorts of Monads, but this is irrelevant here).
The evalIO is also known as join :: Monad m => m (m a) -> m a.
The first and second are exactly the same, because <$> is left-associative and head is a function, and <$> is . in the function monad. Then,
g . head <$> f
= fmap (print . head) (return [1..5] :: IO [Int])
= do { x <- (return [1..5] :: IO [Int])
; return ( print (head x) ) }
= do { let x = [1..5]
; return ( print (head x) ) } :: IO _whatever
=
return ( print 1 ) :: IO (IO ())
We have one too many returns there. In fact,
= fmap (print . head) (return [1..5] :: IO [Int])
= return (print (head [1..5]))
= return (print 1)
is a shorter derivation.
The third one is
(head <$> f) >>= g
= (fmap head $ return [1..5]) >>= print
= (return (head [1..5])) >>= print
= (return 1) >>= print
which is obviously OK.

putStr inside IO () function

How to call IO () function inside another IO () function? I want to print to standard output then call function to do the same.
For example,
p :: String -> IO ()
p [x] = putStr x
p xs = q xs
q :: String -> IO ()
q (x:xs) = putStr x ++ p xs
Your first problem is with typing
p [x] = putStr x
{- putStr :: String -> IO ()
x :: Char, not a String
-}
and
q (x:xs) = putStr x ++ p xs
{- (++) :: [a] -> [a] -> [a]
putStr x :: IO (), not a list of anything.
-}
Let's look at q first, since it follows from p. You're breaking it down into characters, so you should use putChar rather than putStr
Also we're looking at sequencing actions, so we should either use (>>) or (>>=) depending on whether or not you need the result. In this case the result is a value of the unit type (()) which is a useless result and safe to ignore.
q :: String -> IO ()
q (x:xs) = putChar x >> p xs
{- or using `do` notation:
q (x:xs) = do
putChar x
p xs
-}
p can be changed likewise to use putChar rather than putStr
p :: String -> IO ()
p [x] = putChar x
p xs = q xs
though be aware that you haven't matched an empty list on either p or q.
About this time you should notice that substituting putChar for putStr just so you can break strings down to Chars is kind of backward thinking. p = putStr and you're done. However, if you're committed to this backward thinking:
import Control.Monad (foldM_, mapM_)
p = foldM_ (\_ x -> putChar x) ()
-- or
p = foldM_ ((putChar .) . flip const) ()
-- or
p = mapM_ putChar

Getting Access to 'a' in StateT

I'm trying to write a function with StateT only to learn more about it.
In f, I'd like to access to the Int in the last type argument of StateT [Int] IO Int:
f :: StateT [Int] IO Int
f = state $ \xs -> update (error "I want a") xs
update :: Int -> [Int] -> (Int, [Int])
update x [] = (x, [])
update x (y:ys) = (x+y, ys)
Here's how I'd like to call it:
let x = return 55 :: StateT [Int] IO Int
Referencing runStateT:
*Main> :t runStateT
runStateT :: StateT s m a -> s -> m (a, s)
I'd expect to run it:
runStateT (f x) [1,2,3]
to get the following from GHCI, i.e. the IO (Int, [Int]) gets printed:
(56, [2,3])
since the inner a, i.e. 55, + 1, i.e. from [1,2,3], returns (56, [2,3]).
How can I write the above function, getting access to the a?
Ok, here's what say you want:
>>> let x = return 55 :: StateT [Int] IO Int
>>> runStateT (f x) [1,2,3]
(56, [2,3])
So let's work backwards from that.
From the use of f, we can infer its type -
f :: StateT [Int] IO Int -> StateT [Int] IO Int
Note the difference from your given type for f in the question - namely f is a function between values of type StateT [Int] IO Int, not a value of that type.
To define f, we need (>>=) :: Monad m => m a -> (a -> m b) -> m b. This will allow us to take our input of type StateT [Int] IO Int and run some computation on the Int the input computes.
f x = x >>= \i -> state (splitAt 1) >>= \[j] -> return (i + j)
or, using do-notation:
f x = do
i <- x
[j] <- state (splitAt 1)
return (i + j)
Which gives us exactly the result we want.
While this works, it's highly non-idiomatic. Rather than passing monadic values in as inputs to functions and binding them inside the function, it's far more common to define functions that take regular values and return monadic ones, using the bind operator (>>=) outside.
So it'd be far more normal to define
shiftAdd :: Int -> StateT [Int] IO Int
shiftAdd i = do
[j] <- state (splitAt 1)
return (i + j)
So now we can run not only
>>> runStateT (shiftAdd 55) [1,2,3]
(56,[2,3])
but also
>>> runStateT (shiftAdd 55 >>= shiftAdd >>= shiftAdd)
(61,[])
It's still not as idiomatic as it could be as:
I made it unnecessarily partial by using splitAt (it'll throw an exception if the state list is empty)
it's unnecessarily specific (doesn't use IO at all, but we can't use it with other base monads)
Fixing that up gives us:
shiftAdd' :: (Monad m, Num a) => a -> StateT [a] m a
shiftAdd' i = state $ \js -> case js of
[] -> (i, [])
j : js -> (i + j, js)
Which works just fine:
>>> runStateT (return 55 >>= shiftAdd') [1,2,3]
(56,[2,3])
>>> runStateT (return 55 >>= shiftAdd' >>= shiftAdd' >>= shiftAdd') [1,2,3]
(61,[])
>>> runStateT (return 55 >>= shiftAdd' >>= shiftAdd' >>= shiftAdd') []
(55,[])

Mutually recursive IO definitions

I can write the following:
f :: [Int] -> [Int]
f x = 0:(map (+1) x)
g :: [Int] -> [Int]
g x = map (*2) x
a = f b
b = g a
main = print $ take 5 a
And things work perfectly fine (ideone).
However, lets say I want g to do something more complex than multiply by 2, like ask the user for a number and add that, like so:
g2 :: [Int] -> IO [Int]
g2 = mapM (\x -> getLine >>= (return . (+x) . read))
How do I then, well, tie the knot?
Clarification:
Basically I want the list of Ints from f to be the input of g2 and the list of Ints from g2 to be the input of f.
The effectful generalization of lists is ListT:
import Control.Monad
import Pipes
f :: ListT IO Int -> ListT IO Int
f x = return 0 `mplus` fmap (+ 1) x
g2 :: ListT IO Int -> ListT IO Int
g2 x = do
n <- x
n' <- lift (fmap read getLine)
return (n' + n)
a = f b
b = g2 a
main = runListT $ do
n <- a
lift (print n)
mzero
You can also implement take like functionality with a little extra code:
import qualified Pipes.Prelude as Pipes
take' :: Monad m => Int -> ListT m a -> ListT m a
take' n l = Select (enumerate l >-> Pipes.take n)
main = runListT $ do
n <- take' 5 a
lift (print n)
mzero
Example session:
>>> main
0
1<Enter>
2
2<Enter>
3<Enter>
7
4<Enter>
5<Enter>
6<Enter>
18
7<Enter>
8<Enter>
9<Enter>
10<Enter>
38
You can learn more about ListT by reading the pipes tutorial, specifically the section on ListT.

No cooperation between readFile & IO monad when programming pointlessly

Why do countInFile1 & countInFile3 have compiler errors, when countInFile0 & countInFile2 do not. All four are the same thing.
count :: String -> String -> Int
count w = length . filter (==w) . words
present :: String -> String -> IO String
present w = return . show . count w
-- VALID: pointed readFile, regular present
countInFile0 :: String -> FilePath -> IO ()
countInFile0 w f = putStrLn =<< present w =<< readFile f
-- INVALID: pointless readFile, regular present
countInFile1 :: String -> FilePath -> IO ()
countInFile1 w = putStrLn =<< present w =<< readFile
-- VALID: pointed readFile, inline present
countInFile2 :: String -> FilePath -> IO ()
countInFile2 w f = putStrLn =<< (return . show . count w) =<< readFile f
-- INVALID: pointless readFile, inline present
countInFile3 :: String -> FilePath -> IO ()
countInFile3 w = putStrLn =<< (return . show . count w) =<< readFile
main = do
countInFile0 "bulldogs" "bulldogs.txt"
countInFile1 "bulldogs" "bulldogs.txt"
countInFile2 "bulldogs" "bulldogs.txt"
countInFile3 "bulldogs" "bulldogs.txt"
Also why does countInFile3 have this additional error that countInFile1 does not:
example_one.hs:21:27:
No instance for (Monad ((->) FilePath))
arising from a use of `=<<'
Possible fix:
add an instance declaration for (Monad ((->) FilePath))
In the expression:
putStrLn =<< (return . show . count w) =<< readFile
In an equation for `countInFile3':
countInFile3 w
= putStrLn =<< (return . show . count w) =<< readFile
With both countInFile1 and countInFile3, since you are composing three things of the form a -> IO b, you are thinking of the so-called Kleisli composition, the <=< from Control.Monad. Try
countInFile1 w = putStrLn <=< present w <=< readFile
countInFile3 w = putStrLn <=< return . show . count w <=< readFile
Or you can write countInFile3 w file = ... =<< readFile file, as you do elsewhere. readFile file (with the parameter) is an IO String, so it can be passed along by >>= or =<< to any String -> IO b. But that isn't as swank as what you intended. readFile just by itself is a FilePath -> IO String so it can be >=>'d with any String -> IO b to make a FilePath -> IO b and so on with a b -> IO c, etc. in your case ending with a FilePath -> IO ()
The second error comes from ghc trying to read =<< readFile, to do so it needs readFile to be m b for some monad m, so it settles on Monad ((->) FilePath) (this would actually make sense with Control.Monad.Instances, but would just delay getting the first error.)
If you add the file parameter to these it would be thus,
countInFile1 w file = (putStrLn <=< present w <=< readFile) file
and it is possible that you are parsing countInFile2 and countInFile0 this way, while construing =<< as <=< when actually they are like so:
countInFile0 w file = putStrLn =<< present w =<< (readFile file)
The difference is the same as that between
f n = (even . (+1) . (*3)) n
or equivalently
f = even . (+1) . (3*)
and on the other hand
f n = even $ (+1) $ 3 * n -- cp. your 0 and 2
If you delete the n from both sides here
f = even $ (+1) $ (3*) -- cp. your 1 and 3
you will get a type error akin to the ones you saw:
No instance for (Integral (a0 -> a0)) arising from a use of `even'
Where you use $ you need the parameter n -- as where you use >>= or =<< you need the parameter file. With ., as with <=<, you don't.
Function application has higher precedence than infix =<< operator.
So f =<< g a is equivalent to f =<< (g a) and not (f =<< g) a.

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