这是一个相当有原则的解决方案，首先，我们知道如何去做一些事情，我们知道如何做到这一点。追加列表（稍后有用）：

  append :: List a  - >列表a  - >列出一个
 append（Abstr xs）（Abstr ys）= Abstr（\ f  - > xs f> ys f）
 

然后我们引入一个新类型 Split ，我们将用它来检测 List $



  c $ c>是空的或不是空的（并且在非空的情况下获得头部和尾部）： newtype Split a = Split {outSplit :: Maybe（a，List a）} 
 

一个monoid：实际上我们知道如何追加两个列表。

  instance Monoid（Split a）其中
 mempty = Split没有任何
 mappend（Split Nothing）（Split nns）= Split nns 
 mappend（Split mms）（Split Nothing）= Split mms 
 mappend（Just（m，ms）））（ Split（Just（n，ns）））= 
 Split $ Just（m，append ms（cons n ns））
 

这意味着我们可以从列出一个到使用拆分 code>列出一个的 apply $ c> code>：

  split :: List a  - >拆分
 split xs = apply xs $ \ a  - > Split $ Just（a，nil）
 

头和 tail $ c>最终可以从 split ：



  head :: List a  - >也许
 head = fmap fst。 outSplit。 split 

 tail ::列表a  - >也许（列表a）
 tail = fmap snd。 outSplit。拆分
 

In the ``Kan Extensions for Program Optimisation'' by Ralf Hinze there is the definition of List type based on right Kan extension of the forgetful functor from the category of monoids along itself (section 7.4). The paper gives Haskell implementation as follows:

newtype List a = Abstr {
  apply :: forall z . (Monoid z) => (a -> z) -> z
  } 

I was able to define usual nil and cons constructors:

nil :: List a
nil = Abstr (\f -> mempty)

cons :: a -> List a -> List a
cons x (Abstr app) = Abstr (\f -> mappend (f x) (app f))

With the following instance of Monoid class for Maybe functor, I managed to define head function:

instance Monoid (Maybe a) where
  mempty = Nothing
  mappend Nothing m = m
  mappend (Just a) m = Just a

head :: List a -> Maybe a
head (Abstr app) = app Just

Question: How can one define tail function?

Here is a rather principled solution to implementing head and tail in one go (full gist):

First of all, we know how to append lists (it will be useful later on):

append :: List a -> List a -> List a
append (Abstr xs) (Abstr ys) = Abstr (\ f -> xs f <> ys f)

Then we introduce a new type Split which we will use to detect whether a List is empty or not (and get, in the case it's non empty, a head and a tail):

newtype Split a = Split { outSplit :: Maybe (a, List a) }

This new type forms a monoid: indeed we know how to append two lists.

instance Monoid (Split a) where
  mempty = Split Nothing
  mappend (Split Nothing)        (Split nns)            = Split nns
  mappend (Split mms)            (Split Nothing)        = Split mms
  mappend (Split (Just (m, ms))) (Split (Just (n, ns))) =
    Split $ Just (m, append ms (cons n ns))

Which means that we can get a function from List a to Split a using List a's apply:

split :: List a -> Split a
split xs = apply xs $ \ a -> Split $ Just (a, nil)

head and tail can finally be trivially derived from split:

head :: List a -> Maybe a
head = fmap fst . outSplit . split

tail :: List a -> Maybe (List a)
tail = fmap snd . outSplit . split