The sample code:
Printf.ksprintf ignore "static string"
let dynamicString = Printf.StringFormat<unit>("dynamic string")
Printf.ksprintf ignore dynamicString // <- error
When I pass a static string to ksprintf everything works fine. But if I form a string dynamically, a compilation error shows up:
The type 'unit' does not match the type 'string'
P.S. Found in the sources of FSharp.Core:
/// <summary>Represents a statically-analyzed format when formatting
/// arguments of the format operation and the last the overall return type.</summary>
type StringFormat<'T,'Result> = Format<'T, unit, string, 'Result>
/// <summary>Represents a statically-analyzed format when formatting builds a string.
/// The type parameter indicates the arguments and return type of the
/// format operation.</summary>
type StringFormat<'T> = StringFormat<'T,string>
The correct type for the format string is not unit
. It should be
let dynamicString = Printf.StringFormat<unit,unit>("dynamic string")
To find this out, create a function like this:
let test arg = Printf.ksprintf ignore arg
and look at the generated type for arg