Functor package:ghc-internal

A type f is a Functor if it provides a function fmap which, given any types a and b lets you apply any function from (a -> b) to turn an f a into an f b, preserving the structure of f. Furthermore f needs to adhere to the following:

• Identity fmap id == id
• Composition fmap (f . g) == fmap f . fmap g

Note, that the second law follows from the free theorem of the type fmap and the first law, so you need only check that the former condition holds. See these articles by School of Haskell or David Luposchainsky for an explanation.

A type f is a Functor if it provides a function fmap which, given any types a and b, lets you apply any function of type (a -> b) to turn an f a into an f b, preserving the structure of f.

Examples

>>> fmap show (Just 1)  --  (a   -> b)      -> f a       -> f b
Just "1"                --  (Int -> String) -> Maybe Int -> Maybe String

>>> fmap show Nothing   --  (a   -> b)      -> f a       -> f b
Nothing                 --  (Int -> String) -> Maybe Int -> Maybe String

>>> fmap show [1,2,3]   --  (a   -> b)      -> f a       -> f b
["1","2","3"]           --  (Int -> String) -> [Int]     -> [String]

>>> fmap show []        --  (a   -> b)      -> f a       -> f b
[]                      --  (Int -> String) -> [Int]     -> [String]

The fmap function is also available as the infix operator <$>:

>>> fmap show (Just 1) --  (Int -> String) -> Maybe Int -> Maybe String
Just "1"

>>> show <$> (Just 1)  --  (Int -> String) -> Maybe Int -> Maybe String
Just "1"