[[project @ 2002-11-28 01:00:44 by mthomas] mthomas**20021128010044 Add a getting started example. Someone with Docbook please check the SGML. ] { hunk ./ghc/docs/users_guide/glasgow_exts.sgml 3221 + The first example from that paper is set out below as a worked example to help get you started. + + hunk ./ghc/docs/users_guide/glasgow_exts.sgml 3305 + + + A Template Haskell Worked Example +To help you get over the confidence barrier, try out this skeletal worked example. + First cut and paste the two modules below into "Main.hs" and "Printf.hs": + + +{- Main.hs -} +module Main where + +-- Import our template "pr" +import Printf ( pr ) + +-- The splice operator $ takes the Haskell source code +-- generated at compile time by "pr" and splices it into +-- the argument of "putStrLn". +main = putStrLn ( $(pr "Hello") ) + + + +{- Printf.hs -} +module Printf where + +-- Skeletal printf from the paper. +-- It needs to be in a separate module to the one where +-- you intend to use it. + +-- Import some Template Haskell syntax +import Language.Haskell.THSyntax + +-- Describe a format string +data Format = D | S | L String + +-- Parse a format string. This is left largely to you +-- as we are here interested in building our first ever +-- Template Haskell program and not in building printf. +parse :: String -> [Format] +parse s = [ L s ] + +-- Generate Haskell source code from a parsed representation +-- of the format string. This code will be spliced into +-- the module which calls "pr", at compile time. +gen :: [Format] -> Expr +gen [D] = [| \n -> show n |] +gen [S] = [| \s -> s |] +gen [L s] = string s + +-- Here we generate the Haskell code for the splice +-- from an input format string. +pr :: String -> Expr +pr s = gen (parse s) + + +Now run the compiler (here we are using a "stage three" build of GHC, at a Cygwin prompt on Windows): + + +stage3/ghc/compiler/ghc-inplace --make -fglasgow-exts -package haskell-src main.hs -o main.exe + + +Run "main.exe" and here is your output: + + + +$ ./main +Hello + + }