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<a href="./Home">MLton 20130715</a>
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<h1>TypeVariableScope</h1>
</div>
<div id="content">
<div id="preamble">
<div class="sectionbody">
<div class="paragraph"><p>In <a href="StandardML">Standard ML</a>, every type variable is <em>scoped</em> (or
bound) at a particular point in the program.  A type variable can be
either implicitly scoped or explicitly scoped.  For example, <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is
implicitly scoped in</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">-&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>and is implicitly scoped in</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>On the other hand, <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is explicitly scoped in</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">-&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>and is explicitly scoped in</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>A type variable can be scoped at a <span class="monospaced">val</span> or <span class="monospaced">fun</span> declaration.  An SML
type checker performs scope inference on each top-level declaration to
determine the scope of each implicitly scoped type variable.  After
scope inference, every type variable is scoped at exactly one
enclosing <span class="monospaced">val</span> or <span class="monospaced">fun</span> declaration.  Scope inference shows that the
first and second example above are equivalent to the third and fourth
example, respectively.</p></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>Section 4.6 of the <a href="DefinitionOfStandardML">Definition</a> specifies
precisely the scope of an implicitly scoped type variable.  A free
occurrence of a type variable <span class="monospaced">'a</span> in a declaration <span class="monospaced">d</span> is said to be
<em>unguarded</em> in <span class="monospaced">d</span> if <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is not part of a smaller declaration.  A
type variable <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is implicitly scoped at <span class="monospaced">d</span> if <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is unguarded in
<span class="monospaced">d</span> and <span class="monospaced">'a</span> does not occur unguarded in any declaration containing
<span class="monospaced">d</span>.</p></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sect1">
<h2 id="_scope_inference_examples">Scope inference examples</h2>
<div class="sectionbody">
<div class="ulist"><ul>
<li>
<p>
In this example,
</p>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">-&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p><span class="monospaced">'a</span> is unguarded in <span class="monospaced">val id</span> and does not occur unguarded in any
containing declaration.  Hence, <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is scoped at <span class="monospaced">val id</span> and the
declaration is equivalent to the following.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">-&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
</li>
<li>
<p>
In this example,
</p>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">f</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">let</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">exception</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">E</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">of</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">in</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">E</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">end</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p><span class="monospaced">'a</span> is unguarded in <span class="monospaced">val f</span> and does not occur unguarded in any
containing declaration.  Hence, <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is scoped at <span class="monospaced">val f</span> and the
declaration is equivalent to the following.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">f</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">let</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">exception</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">E</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">of</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">in</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">E</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">end</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
</li>
<li>
<p>
In this example (taken from the <a href="DefinitionOfStandardML">Definition</a>),
</p>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">int</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">-&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">int</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">let</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">-&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">z</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">z</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">in</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">end</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p><span class="monospaced">'a</span> occurs unguarded in <span class="monospaced">val id</span>, but not in <span class="monospaced">val x</span>.  Hence, <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is
implicitly scoped at <span class="monospaced">val id</span>, and the declaration is equivalent to
the following.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">int</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">-&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">int</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">let</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">-&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">z</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">z</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">in</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">id</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">end</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
</li>
<li>
<p>
In this example,
</p>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">f</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">y</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">y</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p><span class="monospaced">'a</span> occurs unguarded in <span class="monospaced">val f</span> and does not occur unguarded in any
containing declaration.  Hence, <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is implicitly scoped at <span class="monospaced">val f</span>,
and the declaration is equivalent to the following.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">val</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">f</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="k">fn</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">y</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=&gt;</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">y</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>This does not type check due to the <a href="ValueRestriction">ValueRestriction</a>.</p></div>
</li>
<li>
<p>
In this example,
</p>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">fun</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">f</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">  </span><span class="k">let</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">    </span><span class="k">fun</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">g</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">y</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">if</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">true</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">then</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">else</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">y</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">  </span><span class="k">in</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">    </span><span class="n">g</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">  </span><span class="k">end</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p><span class="monospaced">'a</span> occurs unguarded in <span class="monospaced">fun g</span>, not in <span class="monospaced">fun f</span>.  Hence, <span class="monospaced">'a</span> is
implicitly scoped at <span class="monospaced">fun g</span>, and the declaration is equivalent to</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">fun</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">f</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">  </span><span class="k">let</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">    </span><span class="k">fun</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">g</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">y</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">if</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">true</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">then</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="k">else</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">y</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">  </span><span class="k">in</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">    </span><span class="n">g</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">x</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">  </span><span class="k">end</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>This fails to type check because <span class="monospaced">x</span> and <span class="monospaced">y</span> must have the same type,
and hence <span class="monospaced">'a</span> can not be generalized at <span class="monospaced">fun g</span>.  MLton reports the
following error.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content monospaced">
<pre>Error: scope.sml 3.7.
  Unable to generalize 'a.
    in: fun 'a g ((y): 'a) = (if true then x else y)</pre>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>This problem could be fixed either by adding an explicit type
constraint, as in <span class="monospaced">fun f (x: 'a)</span>, or by explicitly scoping <span class="monospaced">'a</span>, as
in <span class="monospaced">fun 'a f x</span>.</p></div>
</li>
</ul></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sect1">
<h2 id="_restrictions_on_type_variable_scope">Restrictions on type variable scope</h2>
<div class="sectionbody">
<div class="paragraph"><p>It is not allowed to scope a type variable within a declaration in
which it is already in scope (see the last restriction listed on page
9 of the <a href="DefinitionOfStandardML">Definition</a>).  For example, the
following program is invalid.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">fun</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">f</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">   </span><span class="k">let</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">      </span><span class="k">fun</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">g</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">y</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">y</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">   </span><span class="k">in</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">      </span><span class="p">()</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">   </span><span class="k">end</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>MLton reports the following error.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content monospaced">
<pre>Error: z.sml 3.11.
  Type variable 'a scoped at an outer declaration.</pre>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>This is an error even if the scoping is implicit.  That is, the
following program is invalid as well.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="k">fun</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">f</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">x</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">   </span><span class="k">let</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">      </span><span class="k">fun</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">g</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">y</span><span class="p">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">&#39;a</span><span class="p">)</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">=</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">y</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">   </span><span class="k">in</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">      </span><span class="p">()</span><span class="w"></span>
<span class="w">   </span><span class="k">end</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div></div></div>
</div>
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