Linear Haskell: practical linearity in a higher-order polymorphic language

• DOI: 10.1145/3158093
• Publication Date: 2017-12-29T14:21:49Z
• Authors: Jean-Philippe Ber...; Mathieu Boespflug; Ryan R. Newton; Simon Peyton Jones; Arnaud Spiwack
• Keywords: Haskell; Linearity

Linear type systems have a long and storied history, but not clear path forward to integrate with existing languages such as OCaml or Haskell. In this paper, we study linear system designed two crucial properties in mind: backwards-compatibility code reuse across non-linear users of library. Only then can the benefits types permeate conventional functional programming. Rather than bifurcate into counterparts, instead attach linearity function arrows. functions receive inputs from linearly-bound values, also operate over unrestricted, regular values. To demonstrate efficacy our - both how easy it be integrated an language implementation streamlined makes write programs implemented GHC, leading Haskell compiler, kinds applications types: mutable data pure interfaces; enforcing protocols I/O-performing functions.