Re: [Caml-list] weird behavior with built-in ignore function (a bug?)

[Peng Zang <peng.zang@gmail.com>]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Ahhh... it's good to know this is a bug and that it has been fixed.  I think 
for the interim I will simply define my own ignore function.  It also bothers 
me that even in the fixed version ignore does not equal itself.  I also don't 
see why ignore is even defined externally.  Doesn't the compiler optimize 
ignore calls away?

Peng

On Friday 23 November 2007 07:31:11 pm Julien Moutinho wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 23, 2007 at 11:09:44AM -0500, Peng Zang wrote:
> > I have run into what appears to be very odd behavior with the built-in
> > function "ignore".  I will demonstrate below.  It's a little
> > complicated, but it's the smallest testcase I could make it:
> >
> > # type 'a fruit = 'a
> > and 'b veggie = 'b
> > and ('a,'b) kitchen = { source : <make : 'a fruit>;
> >                         sink : <trans : 'a fruit -> 'b veggie>; }
> > ;;
> >
> > # let bar sink x = sink#trans x;;
> > val bar : < trans : 'a -> 'b; .. > -> 'a -> 'b = <fun>
> >
> > # let foo src snk =
> >     let m = { source = src; sink = snk } in
> >       ignore (bar m.sink m.source#make);
> >       ignore (bar m.sink m.source#make);
> >       ()
> > ;;
> > val foo : < make : 'a fruit > -> < trans : 'a fruit -> '_b veggie > ->
> > unit = <fun>
> >
> >
> > Basically, we have two objects.  One is producing fruits (source) and
> > the other is transforming them into vegetables (sink).  Note the
> > inferred typesig of foo, it thinks the trans method returntype is '_b
> > veggie.  This seems strange.  I think it should return a fully
> > polymorphic 'b veggie.
>
> [..]
>
> AFAICS it has been fixed in the release310 branch:
>   http://caml.inria.fr/mantis/view.php?id=4350
>
> % git checkout release310
> Switched to branch "release310"
> % make ocamlc
> [...]
> % ./ocamlc -i peng__071123.ml
> type 'a fruit = 'a
> and 'a veggie = 'a
> and ('a, 'b) kitchen = {
>   source : < make : 'a fruit >;
>   sink : < trans : 'a fruit -> 'b veggie >;
> }
> val bar : < trans : 'a -> 'b; .. > -> 'a -> 'b
> val foo : < make : 'a fruit > -> < trans : 'a fruit -> 'b veggie > -> unit
>
> % git-log --grep='PR#4350'
> commit 4240263b7cbe15e87cc24e797aac6917eacb9f71
> Author: garrigue <garrigue>
> Date:   Mon Oct 29 04:40:34 2007 +0000
>
>     PR#4350
> % git-revert 4240263b
> % make ocamlc
> % ./ocamlc -i peng__071123.ml
> type 'a fruit = 'a
> and 'a veggie = 'a
> and ('a, 'b) kitchen = {
>   source : < make : 'a fruit >;
>   sink : < trans : 'a fruit -> 'b veggie >;
> }
> val bar : < trans : 'a -> 'b; .. > -> 'a -> 'b
> val foo : < make : 'a fruit > -> < trans : 'a fruit -> '_b veggie > -> unit
>
> % git-reset --hard 'HEAD^'
>
> > To verify.  I now re-define foo without the use of ignore:
> >
> > # let foo src snk =
> >     let m = { source = src; sink = snk } in
> >     let _ = bar m.sink m.source#make in
> >     let _ = bar m.sink m.source#make in
> >       ();;
> > val foo : < make : 'a fruit > -> < trans : 'a fruit -> 'b veggie > ->
> > unit = <fun>
> >
> > This time the return type for trans is fully polymorphic!  Using
> > ignore as in the first case broke something.
> >
> > For a strange turn, I make my own ignore function and redefine foo
> > with that:
> >
> > # let myignore x = ();;
> > val myignore : 'a -> unit = <fun>
> > # let foo src snk =
> >   let m = { source = src; sink = snk } in
> >     myignore (bar m.sink m.source#make);
> >     myignore (bar m.sink m.source#make);
> >     ()
> > ;;
> > val foo : < make : 'a fruit > -> < trans : 'a fruit -> 'b veggie > ->
> > unit = <fun>
> >
> > This also yields returns a fully polymorphic veggie!  So it's
> > something unique to the build-in ignore function?
>
> Perhaps the fact that Pervasives.ignore is defined like that:
>
>   external ignore : 'a -> unit = "%ignore"
>
> BTW be aware that:
> % ocaml
>         Objective Caml version 3.10.1+dev2 (2007-11-20)
>
> # ignore == ignore;;
> - : bool = false
> # let ignore _ = ();;
> val ignore : 'a -> unit = <fun>
> # ignore == ignore;;
> - : bool = true
>
> > So now my puzzling question: what is going on?  What is wrong with the
> > build-in ignore function that would make it mess up the return type of
> > the trans method?  Is this a bug?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Peng
> >
> > PS. I'm using OCaml 3.09.3, haven't tried with 3.10
>
> HTH,
>   Julien.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Caml-list mailing list. Subscription management:
> http://yquem.inria.fr/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/caml-list
> Archives: http://caml.inria.fr
> Beginner's list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocaml_beginners
> Bug reports: http://caml.inria.fr/bin/caml-bugs


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v2.0.7 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFHSHH2fIRcEFL/JewRAmZUAKCn7EQXCVEGdSNaxSUu7XYGwQ2tuQCcChv1
WK/7GzYGRj5Vs4WGaULXTnE=
=gE5n
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----