From Free to Run

Prerequisite: You must be familiar with type-level programming syntax and understand how type-level programming works. If you are not, read through the corresponding folder on type-level syntax, and skim through the first few files of the next major folder, Type Level Programming.

So far, we've used the Free monad to model effects using Coproduct. However, this approach is not very extensible because Coproduct is the "closed" Type -> Type sum type.

This folder will

• explain what problem arises by using Either/Coproduct, the "closed" sum types
• show how to make these effects more extensible by using Variant/VariantF, the "open" sum types
• show how to combine VariantF and Free into a more-readable type via Run.

As stated in Free Programs, More Better Programs, PureScript's Run is the same idea behind Haskell's Eff monad. Moreover, The pre-0.12.0 PureScript release's Eff monad that was later changed to Effect is not the same as Haskell's Eff monad, which is covered in that article.