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Statically Resolved Type Parameters

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A statically resolved type parameter is a type parameter that is replaced with an actual type at compile time instead of at run time.

Syntax

'type-parameter

Up to version 7.0 of F#, one had to use the following syntax

^type-parameter

Remarks

In F#, there are two distinct kinds of type parameters. The first kind is the standard generic type parameter. They are equivalent to generic type parameters in other .NET languages. The other kind is statically resolved and can only be used in inlined functions.

Statically resolved type parameters are primarily useful in conjunction with member constraints, which are constraints that allow you to specify that a type argument must have a particular member or members in order to be used. There is no way to create this kind of constraint by using a regular generic type parameter.

The following table summarizes the similarities and differences between the two kinds of type parameters.

Feature Generic Statically resolved
Resolution time Run time Compile time
Member constraints Cannot be used with member constraints. Can be used with member constraints.
Code generation A type (or method) with standard generic type parameters results in the generation of a single generic type or method. Multiple instantiations of types and methods are generated, one for each type that is needed.
Use with types Can be used on types. Cannot be used on types.
Use with inline functions An inline function cannot be parameterized with a standard generic type parameter. If the inputs aren't fully generic, the F# compiler specializes them or, if there are no options to specialize, gives an error. Statically resolved type parameters cannot be used on functions or methods that are not inline.

Many F# core library functions, especially operators, have statically resolved type parameters. These functions and operators are inline, and result in efficient code generation for numeric computations.

Inline methods and functions that use operators, or use other functions that have statically resolved type parameters, can also use statically resolved type parameters themselves. Often, type inference infers such inline functions to have statically resolved type parameters. The following example illustrates an operator definition that is inferred to have a statically resolved type parameter.

let inline (+@) x y = x + x * y
// Call that uses int.
printfn "%d" (1 +@ 1)
// Call that uses float.
printfn "%f" (1.0 +@ 0.5)

The resolved type of (+@) is based on the use of both (+) and (*), both of which cause type inference to infer member constraints on the statically resolved type parameters. The resolved type, as shown in the F# interpreter, is as follows.

'a -> 'c -> 'd
when ('a or 'b) : (static member ( + ) : 'a * 'b -> 'd) and
('a or 'c) : (static member ( * ) : 'a * 'c -> 'b)

The output is as follows.

2
1.500000

The following example illustrates the usage of SRTPs with methods and static methods:

type Record =
    { Number: int }
    member this.Double() = { Number = this.Number * 2 }
    static member Zero() = { Number = 0 }
    
let inline double<'a when 'a:(member Double: unit -> 'a)> (x: 'a) = x.Double()    
let inline zero<'a when 'a:(static member Zero: unit -> 'a)> () = 'a.Zero()

let r: Record = zero ()
let doubleR = double r

Starting with F# 7.0, you can use 'a.Zero() instead of having to repeat the constraint as in the example below.

Starting with F# 4.1, you can also specify concrete type names in statically resolved type parameter signatures. In previous versions of the language, the type name was inferred by the compiler, but could not be specified in the signature. As of F# 4.1, you may also specify concrete type names in statically resolved type parameter signatures. Here's an example (please not that in this example, ^ must still be used because the simplification to use ' is not supported):

let inline konst x _ = x

type CFunctor() =
    static member inline fmap (f: ^a -> ^b, a: ^a list) = List.map f a
    static member inline fmap (f: ^a -> ^b, a: ^a option) =
        match a with
        | None -> None
        | Some x -> Some (f x)

    // default implementation of replace
    static member inline replace< ^a, ^b, ^c, ^d, ^e when ^a :> CFunctor and (^a or ^d): (static member fmap: (^b -> ^c) * ^d -> ^e) > (a, f) =
        ((^a or ^d) : (static member fmap : (^b -> ^c) * ^d -> ^e) (konst a, f))

    // call overridden replace if present
    static member inline replace< ^a, ^b, ^c when ^b: (static member replace: ^a * ^b -> ^c)>(a: ^a, f: ^b) =
        (^b : (static member replace: ^a * ^b -> ^c) (a, f))

let inline replace_instance< ^a, ^b, ^c, ^d when (^a or ^c): (static member replace: ^b * ^c -> ^d)> (a: ^b, f: ^c) =
        ((^a or ^c): (static member replace: ^b * ^c -> ^d) (a, f))

// Note the concrete type 'CFunctor' specified in the signature
let inline replace (a: ^a) (f: ^b): ^a0 when (CFunctor or  ^b): (static member replace: ^a *  ^b ->  ^a0) =
    replace_instance<CFunctor, _, _, _> (a, f)

See also