Import Upstream version 20180207

[hcoop/debian/mlton.git] / doc / guide / src / Monomorphise.adoc

Monomorphise
============

<:Monomorphise:> is a translation pass from the <:XML:>
<:IntermediateLanguage:> to the <:SXML:> <:IntermediateLanguage:>.

== Description ==

Monomorphisation eliminates polymorphic values and datatype
declarations by duplicating them for each type at which they are used.

Consider the following <:XML:> program.
[source,sml]
----
datatype 'a t = T of 'a
fun 'a f (x: 'a) = T x
val a = f 1
val b = f 2
val z = f (3, 4)
----

The result of monomorphising this program is the following <:SXML:> program:
[source,sml]
----
datatype t1 = T1 of int
datatype t2 = T2 of int * int
fun f1 (x: int) = T1 x
fun f2 (x: int * int) = T2 x
val a = f1 1
val b = f1 2
val z = f2 (3, 4)
----

== Implementation ==

* <!ViewGitFile(mlton,master,mlton/xml/monomorphise.sig)>
* <!ViewGitFile(mlton,master,mlton/xml/monomorphise.fun)>

== Details and Notes ==

The monomorphiser works by making one pass over the entire program.
On the way down, it creates a cache for each variable declared in a
polymorphic declaration that maps a lists of type arguments to a new
variable name.  At a variable reference, it consults the cache (based
on the types the variable is applied to).  If there is already an
entry in the cache, it is used.  If not, a new entry is created.  On
the way up, the monomorphiser duplicates a variable declaration for
each entry in the cache.

As with variables, the monomorphiser records all of the type at which
constructors are used.  After the entire program is processed, the
monomorphiser duplicates each datatype declaration and its associated
constructors.

The monomorphiser duplicates all of the functions declared in a
`fun` declaration as a unit.  Consider the following program
[source,sml]
----
fun 'a f (x: 'a) = g x
and g (y: 'a) = f y
val a = f 13
val b = g 14
val c = f (1, 2)
----

and its monomorphisation

[source,sml]
----
fun f1 (x: int) = g1 x
and g1 (y: int) = f1 y
fun f2 (x : int * int) = g2 x
and g2 (y : int * int) = f2 y
val a = f1 13
val b = g1 14
val c = f2 (1, 2)
----

== Pathological datatype declarations ==

SML allows a pathological polymorphic datatype declaration in which
recursive uses of the defined type constructor are applied to
different type arguments than the definition.  This has been
disallowed by others on type theoretic grounds.  A canonical example
is the following.
[source,sml]
----
datatype 'a t = A of 'a | B of ('a * 'a) t
val z : int t = B (B (A ((1, 2), (3, 4))))
----

The presence of the recursion in the datatype declaration might appear
to cause the need for the monomorphiser to create an infinite number
of types.  However, due to the absence of polymorphic recursion in
SML, there are in fact only a finite number of instances of such types
in any given program.  The monomorphiser translates the above program
to the following one.
[source,sml]
----
datatype t1 = B1 of t2
datatype t2 = B2 of t3
datatype t3 = A3 of (int * int) * (int * int)
val z : int t = B1 (B2 (A3 ((1, 2), (3, 4))))
----

It is crucial that the monomorphiser be allowed to drop unused
constructors from datatype declarations in order for the translation
to terminate.