purescript-typeable/README.md

# Purescript-Typeable
Reified types for Purescript

This is an implementation of indexed typereps for Purescript, similar to the [corresponding implementation in Haskell](https://hackage.haskell.org/package/base-4.10.0.0/docs/Type-Reflection.html#t:TypeRep).

[Slides for a talk about Purescript-Typeable](https://speakerdeck.com/ajnsit/purescript-typeable), presented at the Purescript semi-monthly meetup on 18 January 2021, are available.

## Data.Typeable

`TypeReps` are values that represent types (i.e. they reify types). When they are *indexed* they have the type itself as a parameter.

```purescript
data TypeRep a -- A *value* that represents the type 'a'
```

All typeable things have typereps -

```purescript
class Typeable a where
  typeRep :: TypeRep a
```

Instances are provided for common data types.

We can recover the unindexed representation by making it existential -

```purescript
data SomeTypeRep = SomeTypeRep (Exists TypeRep)
```

We can also test typereps for equality -

```purescript
eqTypeRep :: forall a b. TypeRep a -> TypeRep b -> Boolean
```

We can compare two typeReps and extract a witness for type equality.

```purescript
eqT :: forall a b. TypeRep a -> TypeRep b -> Maybe (a ~ b)
```

## Data.Dynamic

We can have dynamic values which holds a value `a` in a context `t` and forgets the type of `a`

```purescript
data Dynamic t
```

We can wrap a value into a dynamic

```purescript
-- Wrap a value into a dynamic
dynamic :: forall a t. Typeable a => t a -> Dynamic t
```

We can recover the value from a dynamic if supply the type we expect to find in the Dynamic

```purescript
unwrapDynamic :: forall a. TypeRep a -> Dynamic t -> Maybe a
```

## Deriving `Typeable` for custom data types

It's extremely easy. You just need to create a mechanical `TagT` class instance for your datatype.

For example -

```purescript
data Person = Person {name::String, age::Int}

instance tagTPerson :: TagT Person where tagT = proxyT
```

This is valid even for data types that take parameters. For example -

```purescript
data Optional a = Some a | None

instance tagTOptional :: TagT Optional where tagT = proxyT
```

**Don't worry about getting it wrong since the type system will prevent you from writing an invalid instance.**

> #### CAVEAT
> *Do not add any extra constraints to the instances*. For example don't do `Foo => TagT Person`. This currently cannot be caught by the type checker, but will break typerep comparisons for your data type.

And that's it! You are done! Now your datatype will have a `Typeable` instance.

Note that you will have typeable instances even for unsaturated types. For example, with the `tagTOptional` instance above, you have instances for `TypeRep (Optional a)` as well as for `TypeRep Optional`.