This is the textbook zip function:

```
zip :: [a] -> [a] -> [(a,a)]
zip [] _ = []
zip _ [] = []
zip (x:xs) (y:ys) = (x,y) : zip xs ys

```

I asked on #haskell earlier wether "zip" could be implemented using "foldr" alone, no recursion, no pattern matching. After some thinking, we noticed the recursion could be eliminated using continuations:

```
zip' :: [a] -> [a] -> [(a,a)]
zip' = foldr cons nil
    where
        cons h t (y:ys) = (h,y) : (t ys)
        cons h t []     = []
        nil             = const []

```

We are still left with pattern matching. After some more neuron toasting I came up with an incomplete answer that I thought was logical:

```
zip :: [a] -> [a] -> [a]
zip a b = (zipper a) (zipper b) where
    zipper = foldr (\ x xs cont -> x : cont xs) (const [])

```

It returns a flat list, but does the zipping. I was certain it made sense, but Haskell complained about the type. I proceeded to test it on a untyped lambda calculator, and it worked. Why can't Haskell accept my function?

The error is:

```
zip.hs:17:19:
    Occurs check: cannot construct the infinite type:
      t0 ~ (t0 -> [a]) -> [a]
    Expected type: a -> ((t0 -> [a]) -> [a]) -> (t0 -> [a]) -> [a]
      Actual type: a
                   -> ((t0 -> [a]) -> [a]) -> (((t0 -> [a]) -> [a]) -> [a]) -> [a]
    Relevant bindings include
      b ∷ [a] (bound at zip.hs:17:7)
      a ∷ [a] (bound at zip.hs:17:5)
      zip ∷ [a] -> [a] -> [a] (bound at zip.hs:17:1)
    In the first argument of ‘foldr’, namely ‘cons’
    In the expression: ((foldr cons nil a) (foldr cons nil b))

zip.hs:17:38:
    Occurs check: cannot construct the infinite type:
      t0 ~ (t0 -> [a]) -> [a]
    Expected type: a -> (t0 -> [a]) -> t0 -> [a]
      Actual type: a -> (t0 -> [a]) -> ((t0 -> [a]) -> [a]) -> [a]
    Relevant bindings include
      b ∷ [a] (bound at zip.hs:17:7)
      a ∷ [a] (bound at zip.hs:17:5)
      zip ∷ [a] -> [a] -> [a] (bound at zip.hs:17:1)
    In the first argument of ‘foldr’, namely ‘cons’
    In the fourth argument of ‘foldr’, namely ‘(foldr cons nil b)’

```