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Display dots while loading +.,-.
As Hugs loads each file into the interpreter, it prints a short
sequence of messages to indicate progress through the various stages
of parsing the module, dependency analysis, type checking, and compilation.
With the default setting, -., the interpreter prints the name of
each stage, backspacing over it to erase it from the screen when the
stage is complete. If you are fortunate enough to be using a
fast machine, you may not always see the individual words as they flash
past. After loading a file, your screen will typically look something
like this:
Prelude> :l Array
Reading file "/Hugs/lib/Array.hs":
Hugs session for:
/Hugs/lib/Prelude.hs
/Hugs/lib/Array.hs
Prelude>
On some systems, the use of backspace characters to erase a line may
not work properly---for example, if you try to run Hugs from
within emacs. In this case, you may prefer
to use the +. setting which prints a separate line for each stage,
with a row of dots to indicate progress:
Prelude> :load Array
Reading file "/Hugs/lib/Array.hs":
Parsing....................................................
Dependency analysis........................................
Type checking..............................................
Compiling..................................................
Hugs session for:
/Hugs/lib/Prelude.hs
/Hugs/lib/Array.hs
Prelude>
This setting can also be useful on very slow machines where the growing
line of dots provides confirmation that the interpreter is making progress
through the various stages involved in loading a file. You should note,
however, that the mechanisms used to display the rows of dots can add
a substantial overhead to the time that it takes to load files;
in one experiment, a particular program took nearly five times longer
to load when the +. option was used.