The Functor class is used for types that can be mapped over. Instances of Functor should satisfy the following laws:

fmap id  ==  id
fmap (f . g)  ==  fmap f . fmap g

The instances of Functor for lists, Maybe and IO satisfy these laws.

The Monad class defines the basic operations over a monad, a concept from a branch of mathematics known as category theory. From the perspective of a Haskell programmer, however, it is best to think of a monad as an abstract datatype of actions. Haskell's do expressions provide a convenient syntax for writing monadic expressions.

Instances of Monad should satisfy the following laws:

• return a >>= k  =  k a

• m >>= return  =  m

• m >>= (x -> k x >>= h)  =  (m >>= k) >>= h

Furthermore, the Monad and Applicative operations should relate as follows:

• pure = return

• (<*>) = ap

The above laws imply:

• fmap f xs  =  xs >>= return . f

• (>>) = (*>)

and that pure and (<*>) satisfy the applicative functor laws.

The instances of Monad for lists, Maybe and IO defined in the Prelude satisfy these laws.

Monads that also support choice and failure.

Map each element of a structure to a monadic action, evaluate these actions from left to right, and collect the results. For a version that ignores the results see mapM_.

Map each element of a structure to a monadic action, evaluate these actions from left to right, and ignore the results. For a version that doesn't ignore the results see mapM.

As of base 4.8.0.0, mapM_ is just traverse_, specialized to Monad.

forM is mapM with its arguments flipped. For a version that ignores the results see forM_.

forM_ is mapM_ with its arguments flipped. For a version that doesn't ignore the results see forM.

As of base 4.8.0.0, forM_ is just for_, specialized to Monad.

Evaluate each monadic action in the structure from left to right, and collect the results. For a version that ignores the results see sequence_.

Evaluate each monadic action in the structure from left to right, and ignore the results. For a version that doesn't ignore the results see sequence.

As of base 4.8.0.0, sequence_ is just sequenceA_, specialized to Monad.

Same as >>=, but with the arguments interchanged.

Left-to-right Kleisli composition of monads.

Right-to-left Kleisli composition of monads. (>=>), with the arguments flipped

forever act repeats the action infinitely.

void value discards or ignores the result of evaluation, such as the return value of an IO action.

Examples

>>> void Nothing
Nothing
>>> void (Just 3)
Just ()

>>> void (Left 8675309)
Left 8675309
>>> void (Right 8675309)
Right ()

>>> void [1,2,3]
[(),(),()]

>>> void (1,2)
(1,())

>>> mapM print [1,2]
1
2
[(),()]
>>> void $ mapM print [1,2]
1
2

The join function is the conventional monad join operator. It is used to remove one level of monadic structure, projecting its bound argument into the outer level.

The sum of a collection of actions, generalizing concat. As of base 4.8.0.0, msum is just asum, specialized to MonadPlus.

Direct MonadPlus equivalent of filter filter = (mfilter:: (a -> Bool) -> [a] -> [a] applicable to any MonadPlus, for example mfilter odd (Just 1) == Just 1 mfilter odd (Just 2) == Nothing

This generalizes the list-based filter function.

The mapAndUnzipM function maps its first argument over a list, returning the result as a pair of lists. This function is mainly used with complicated data structures or a state-transforming monad.

The zipWithM function generalizes zipWith to arbitrary monads.

zipWithM_ is the extension of zipWithM which ignores the final result.

The foldM function is analogous to foldl, except that its result is encapsulated in a monad. Note that foldM works from left-to-right over the list arguments. This could be an issue where (>>) and the `folded function' are not commutative.

      foldM f a1 [x1, x2, ..., xm]

==

      do
        a2 <- f a1 x1
        a3 <- f a2 x2
        ...
        f am xm

If right-to-left evaluation is required, the input list should be reversed.

Note: foldM is the same as foldlM

Like foldM, but discards the result.

replicateM n act performs the action n times, gathering the results.

Like replicateM, but discards the result.

guard b is pure () if b is True, and empty if b is False.

Conditional execution of Applicative expressions. For example,

when debug (putStrLn "Debugging")

will output the string Debugging if the Boolean value debug is True, and otherwise do nothing.

The reverse of when.

Promote a function to a monad.

Promote a function to a monad, scanning the monadic arguments from left to right. For example,

   liftM2 (+) [0,1] [0,2] = [0,2,1,3]
   liftM2 (+) (Just 1) Nothing = Nothing

Promote a function to a monad, scanning the monadic arguments from left to right (cf. liftM2).

Promote a function to a monad, scanning the monadic arguments from left to right (cf. liftM2).

Promote a function to a monad, scanning the monadic arguments from left to right (cf. liftM2).

In many situations, the liftM operations can be replaced by uses of ap, which promotes function application.

      return f `ap` x1 `ap` ... `ap` xn

is equivalent to

      liftMn f x1 x2 ... xn

Strict version of <$>.

Since: 4.8.0.0