Document (->) using inferred quantification for its runtime representations.

Fixes #18142.

4 files changed, 26 insertions, 6 deletions

diff --git a/compiler/GHC/Builtin/Types/Prim.hs b/compiler/GHC/Builtin/Types/Prim.hs
index e138780c44..ecf166e402 100644
--- a/compiler/GHC/Builtin/Types/Prim.hs
+++ b/compiler/GHC/Builtin/Types/Prim.hs
@@ -399,9 +399,23 @@ funTyConName = mkPrimTyConName (fsLit "->") funTyConKey funTyCon
 -- | The @(->)@ type constructor.
 --
 -- @
--- (->) :: forall (rep1 :: RuntimeRep) (rep2 :: RuntimeRep).
---         TYPE rep1 -> TYPE rep2 -> *
+-- (->) :: forall {rep1 :: RuntimeRep} {rep2 :: RuntimeRep}.
+--         TYPE rep1 -> TYPE rep2 -> Type
 -- @
+--
+-- The runtime representations quantification is left inferred. This
+-- means they cannot be specified with @-XTypeApplications@.
+--
+-- This is a deliberate choice to allow future extensions to the
+-- function arrow. To allow visible application a type synonym can be
+-- defined:
+--
+-- @
+-- type Arr :: forall (rep1 :: RuntimeRep) (rep2 :: RuntimeRep).
+--             TYPE rep1 -> TYPE rep2 -> Type
+-- type Arr = (->)
+-- @
+--
 funTyCon :: TyCon
 funTyCon = mkFunTyCon funTyConName tc_bndrs tc_rep_nm
   where
diff --git a/compiler/GHC/Core/Coercion.hs b/compiler/GHC/Core/Coercion.hs
index a95c16c372..7294209730 100644
--- a/compiler/GHC/Core/Coercion.hs
+++ b/compiler/GHC/Core/Coercion.hs
@@ -292,7 +292,9 @@ tidyCoAxBndrsForUser init_env tcvs
 Note [Function coercions]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Remember that
-  (->) :: forall r1 r2. TYPE r1 -> TYPE r2 -> TYPE LiftedRep
+  (->) :: forall {r1} {r2}. TYPE r1 -> TYPE r2 -> TYPE LiftedRep
+whose `RuntimeRep' arguments are intentionally marked inferred to
+avoid type application.
 
 Hence
   FunCo r co1 co2 :: (s1->t1) ~r (s2->t2)
diff --git a/compiler/GHC/Core/TyCo/Rep.hs b/compiler/GHC/Core/TyCo/Rep.hs
index 4ac731bc07..46a6cdee01 100644
--- a/compiler/GHC/Core/TyCo/Rep.hs
+++ b/compiler/GHC/Core/TyCo/Rep.hs
@@ -255,12 +255,15 @@ about it!
 * FFunTy is the data constructor, meaning "full function type".
 
 * The function type constructor (->) has kind
-     (->) :: forall r1 r2. TYPE r1 -> TYPE r2 -> Type LiftedRep
+     (->) :: forall {r1} {r2}. TYPE r1 -> TYPE r2 -> Type LiftedRep
   mkTyConApp ensure that we convert a saturated application
     TyConApp (->) [r1,r2,t1,t2] into FunTy t1 t2
   dropping the 'r1' and 'r2' arguments; they are easily recovered
   from 't1' and 't2'.
 
+* For the time being its RuntimeRep quantifiers are left
+  inferred. This is to allow for it to evolve.
+
 * The ft_af field says whether or not this is an invisible argument
      VisArg:   t1 -> t2    Ordinary function type
      InvisArg: t1 => t2    t1 is guaranteed to be a predicate type,
diff --git a/compiler/GHC/Core/Type.hs b/compiler/GHC/Core/Type.hs
index fe6d721a05..fbbf43a2fa 100644
--- a/compiler/GHC/Core/Type.hs
+++ b/compiler/GHC/Core/Type.hs
@@ -1012,9 +1012,10 @@ Note [Representation of function types]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 Functions (e.g. Int -> Char) can be thought of as being applications
-of funTyCon (known in Haskell surface syntax as (->)),
+of funTyCon (known in Haskell surface syntax as (->)), (note that
+`RuntimeRep' quantifiers are left inferred)
 
-    (->) :: forall (r1 :: RuntimeRep) (r2 :: RuntimeRep)
+    (->) :: forall {r1 :: RuntimeRep} {r2 :: RuntimeRep}
                    (a :: TYPE r1) (b :: TYPE r2).
             a -> b -> Type