Higher-Kinded Types

Flix supports higher-kinded types, hence traits can abstract over type constructors.

For example, we can write a trait that capture iteration over any collection of the shape t[a] where t is a type constructor of kind Type -> Type and a is the element type of kind Type:

trait ForEach[t: Type -> Type] {
    pub def forEach(f: a -> Unit \ ef, x: t[a]): Unit \ ef
}

To use higher-kinded types Flix requires us to provide kind annotations, i.e. we had to write t: Type -> Type to inform Flix that ForEach abstracts over type constructors.

We can implement an instance of the ForEach trait for Option[t]:

instance ForEach[Option] {
    pub def forEach(f: a -> Unit \ ef, o: Option[a]): Unit \ ef = match o {
        case None    => ()
        case Some(x) => f(x)
    }
}

and we can implement an instance for List[t]:

instance ForEach[List] {
    pub def forEach(f: a -> Unit \ ef, l: List[a]): Unit \ ef = List.forEach(f, l)
}

Note: Flix does not have a ForEach trait, but instead has the much more powerful and versatile Foldable trait.

The Flix Kinds

Flix supports the following kinds:

  • Type: The kind of Flix types.
    • e.g. Int32, String, and List[Int32].
  • RecordRow: The kind of rows used in records
    • e.g. in {x = Int32, y = Int32 | r} the type variable r has kind RecordRow.
  • SchemaRow: The kind of rows used in first-class Datalog constraints
    • e.g. in #{P(Int32, Int32) | r} the type variable r has kind SchemaRow.

Flix can usually infer kinds. For example, we can write:

def sum(r: {x = t, y = t | r}): t with Add[t] = r#x + r#y

and have the kinds of t: Type and r: RecordRow automatically inferred.

We can also explicitly specify them as follows:

def sum[t: Type, r: RecordRow](r: {x = t, y = t | r}): t with Add[t] = r#x + r#y

but this style is not considered idiomatic.

Flix requires explicit kind annotations in four situations:

  • For type parameters of non-Type kind on enums.
  • For type parameters of non-Type kind on type aliases.
  • For type parameters of non-Type kind on traits.
  • For type members of a non-Type kind in a trait.

The most common scenario where you will need a kind annotation is when you want a type parameter or type member to range over an effect.

Higher-Kinded Types vs. Associated Types

In practice higher-kinded types and associated types can be used to define similar abstractions.

For example, as we have seen, we can define the ForEach trait in two different ways:

With a higher-kinded type:

trait ForEach[t: Type -> Type] {
    pub def forEach(f: a -> Unit \ ef, x: t[a]): Unit \ ef
}

and with an associated type:

trait ForEach[t] {
    type Elm
    pub def forEach(f: ForEach.Elm[t] -> Unit \ ef, x: t): Unit \ ef
}

In the case of ForEach, the definition with an associated type is more flexible, since we can implement an instance for String with associated element type Char. However, higher-kinded types are still useful. For example, the Flix Standard Library defines the Functor trait as:

trait Functor[m : Type -> Type] {
    pub def map(f: a -> b \ ef, x: m[a]): m[b] \ ef
}

Notably the kind of m ensures that every Functor implementation is structure preserving. That is, we know that when we map over e.g. an Option[a] then we get back an Option[b].