Empty list without list literals

The article describes a problem where the Haskell language extension `OverloadedLists` automatically transforms list literals like `[]` into `fromList []`, interfering with a rewrite rule for the `++` operator. The author presents a workaround by defining a custom `(+++)` function with an `INLINE` pragma to handle specific list cases, while expressing curiosity about alternative methods to specify a list as type `[a]` without using an explicit type signature.

This is my situation. I want to make this rule: {- RULES "++ 1 element" forall x xs. x: ++ xs = x:xs -} However, I have OverloadedLists enabled, so this becomes. {- RULES "++ 1 element" forall x xs. x: fromList ++ xs = x:xs -} Is there a way to avoid this automatic fromList ? Also, I’d like to be able to just say that a list is normal for readability. My soultion was to do this: Make a helper function special casing those situations and just inline that instead. +++ :: a - a - a +++ x = x +++ a x = a:x +++ xs ys = xs ++ ys {- INLINE +++ -} But I’m still curious for a way to say that a list is of type a without using a type signature.