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156 lines
7.4 KiB
Markdown
156 lines
7.4 KiB
Markdown
Haskell is a syntactically-flexible language, which gives the programmer a tremendous amount of leeway regarding the appearance of their code. This is a set of best practices that we use in `semantic` and its related projects.
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This file draws from the style guides written by [Johan Tibbel](https://github.com/tibbe/haskell-style-guide/blob/master/haskell-style.md) and [Kowainik](https://kowainik.github.io/posts/2019-02-06-style-guide).
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# General guidelines
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Make your code look like the code around it. Consistency is the name of the game.
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Use `stylish-haskell` for general formatting. We have our own style defined in `.stylish-haskell.yaml`, and it automates many uninteresting style debates: it will format `LANGUAGE` pragmas, alphabetize and align imports, etc. Atom, Emacs, vim, and most other editors can run it automatically. You should also set up your editor to remove trailing whitespace.
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Our CI systems ensure that all patches pass `hlint`'s muster. We have our own set of rules in `.hlint.yaml`.
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We strongly recommend adding Haddock documentation to any function/data type, unless its purpose is immediately apparent from its name.
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Comments should describe the "why", type signatures should describe the "what", and the code should describe the "how".
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# Formatting
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2 spaces everywhere. Tabs are forbidden. Haskell indentation can be unpredictable, so generally stick with what your editor suggests.
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There is no hard line-length limit, though if you go beyond 110 or 120 you should generally split it up, especially for type signatures.
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### Use applicative notation when constructing simple data types.
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``` haskell
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thing :: Parser Foo
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-- Broke:
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thing = do
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a <- bar
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b <- baz
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pure (Foo a b)
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-- Woke:
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thing = Foo <$> bar <*> baz
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```
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Overreliance on applicative notation can create code that is difficult to read. Don't use applicative notation in combination with operator sections. If in doubt, write it with `do` notation and see if it's more immediately comprehensible.
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Avoid the `Applicative` instance for functions. That means you, Rob.
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### Use leading commas for records, exports, and lists.
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Leading commas make it easy to add and remove fields without introducing syntax errors, and properly aligned records are easy to read:
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``` haskell
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data Pos = Pos
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{ posLine :: Int
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, posColumn :: Int
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}
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```
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### Align typographical symbols.
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`->` in `case` statements and signatures, `=` in functions, and `::` in records should be aligned. Your editor can help with this. In certain situations, aligning symbols may decrease readability, e.g. complicated `case` statements. Use your best judgment.
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# Naming
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Locally bound variables (such as the arguments to functions, or helpers defined in a `where` clause) can have short names, such as `x` or `go`. Globally bound functions and variables should have descriptive names.
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You'll often find yourself implementing functions that conflict with Prelude definitions. If this is the case, avoid adding a prefix to these functions, and instead import them qualified.
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``` haskell
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-- Broke
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foo = heapLookup thing
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-- Woke
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foo = Heap.lookup thing
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```
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Unlike many Haskell projects, we rely in places on variable shadowing (especially in open-recursive functions).
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Avoid variable shadowing if possible, as it can lead to unintuitive error messages; you are free to disable shadowing on a per-file basis with `{-# OPTIONS_GHC -Wshadow #-}`
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# Functions
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### Don't go buckwild with infix operators.
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Sensible use of infix operators can provide serious readability benefits, but often the best tool is just a named function. If you're defining new operators, make sure that you have a solid justification for doing so.
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### Avoid list comprehensions.
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In almost all cases, `map`, `filter`, `fold`, and the `[]` monad are more flexible and readable.
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### Don't go buckwild with point-free definitions.
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Point-free style can help or hinder readability, depending on the context. If a function is expressed naturally with the `.` operator, then do so, but if you have to gyrate the definition to write it point-free, then you should probably just write out the variable names. If you are reviewing someone else's PR and find a point-free definition hard to read, ask them to simplify/clarify it.
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### Prefer `.` and `$` to parentheses.
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Parentheses can make a function harder to edit, since parentheses have to be balanced. The composition and application operators (`.` and `$`) can reduce clunkiness.
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``` haskell
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-- Broke
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f (g (h x))
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-- Woke
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f $ g $ h x
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-- Bespoke
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f . g . h $ x
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```
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### Do not use partial functions.
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`hlint` will catch several classes of partial functions (`head`, `fromJust`, etc.). Do not use `error` if at all possible, and never use `undefined`.
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# Data Types
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### Prefer `newtype`s to `type`s.
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`newtype` values are zero-cost to construct and eliminate, and provide more informative error messages than `type` synonyms. Only use `type` for convenience aliases to existing types.
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### Don't use `String`.
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`String` is almost always the wrong choice. If your type represents human-readable strings, use `Text`; if you have a blob of bytes, use `ByteString`. `-XOverloadedStrings` is enabled globally to make this easy.
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### Use `-XDerivingStrategies` when using `-XGeneralizedNewtypeDeriving` or `-XDeriveAnyClass`.
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Subtle bugs can creep in if you fail to specify the correct strategy, so prefer specifying an explicit strategy even if GHC doesn't require it.
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If all the classes you're `deriving` are the stock classes (`Eq`, `Ord`, `Show`, etc.), there's no need to specify a strategy.
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### Only use record selectors on single-constructor types.
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The following code generates two partial functions, which is bad:
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``` haskell
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data Bad = Evil { getInt :: Int }
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| Bad { getFloat :: Float }
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```
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If you need fields that properly take failure into account, consider using `lens` and generating `Lens`es and `Traversal`s, which avoid calls to `error`.
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An exception to this case is when record selectors are present to provide clarity regarding field names. In this case, prefix the field names with `_` (so that GHC will avoid warning you), and export only the constructors, like so:
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``` haskell
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module Thing (Foo (Bar, Baz)) where
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data Foo = Bar { _thing1 :: String
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, _thing2 :: String
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}
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| Baz { _thingRed :: Float
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, _thingBlue :: Float
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}
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```
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# `lens`
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The `lens` library is large and intimidating, and poorly-written `lens` code can be impossible to maintain. Here are some suggestions to keep complexity at bay:
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* Prefer hand-written lenses to those generated by Template Haskell, except if the hand-written lens is significantly less reasonable than a TH splice.
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* Only use these infix operators: `^.` (`view`), `^?` (`preview`), `.~` (`set`), `%~` (`over`), and `^..` (`toListOf`). Prefer prefix functions in other cases.
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* Prefer specific imports: if all you need is `^.`, import just `Control.Lens.Getter` rather than `Control.Lens`.
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* Only use lenses when you have to view and manipulate deeply nested data types. If you can get away with a plain old record, do so.
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# Miscellany
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* Prefer eliminators like `maybe` and `either` to explicit pattern-matching.
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* Prefer `guards` and the `bool` eliminator to if-then-else statements.
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* Prefer `where` to `let`, except in the case of nested `where`s.
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* Don't use `{-# ANN … #-}` to disable hlint warnings, as it can slow down compilation. If you need to disable lints in a file, do so in `.hlint.yaml`.
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