Shapeless example

scala

import shapeless.{:+:, ::, CNil, Coproduct, Generic, HList, HNil, Inl, Inr, Lazy}

/**
  * http://www.cakesolutions.net/teamblogs/solving-problems-in-a-generic-way-using-shapeless
  */
trait Depth[T] {
  def depth(t: T): Int
}

object Depth {



  def createDepth[A](func: A => Int): Depth[A] = new Depth[A] {
    override def depth(t: A): Int = func(t)
  }

  implicit def stringDepth: Depth[String] = createDepth { str => 1 }

  implicit def intDepth: Depth[Int] = createDepth(_ => 1)

  implicit def listDepth[A](implicit elementDepth: Depth[A]): Depth[List[A]] = createDepth { list =>
    if (list.isEmpty) 1 else list.map(elementDepth.depth).max + 1
  }
  
  implicit val hnilDepth: Depth[HNil] = createDepth(_ => 0)

  implicit def hlistDepth[H, T <: HList](implicit hDepth: Lazy[Depth[H]], tDepth: Depth[T]): Depth[H :: T] = createDepth {
      case h :: t =>
        (hDepth.value.depth(h) + 1) max tDepth.depth(t)
  }

  implicit val cnilDepth: Depth[CNil] = createDepth(_ => 0)

  implicit def coproductDepth[H, T <: Coproduct](
                                                     implicit
                                                     hDepth: Depth[H],
                                                     tDepth: Depth[T]

                               ): Depth[H :+: T] = createDepth {
    case Inl(h) =>
      hDepth.depth(h)
    case Inr(t) =>
      tDepth.depth(t)
  }

  implicit def genericDepth[A, H <: HList](implicit gen: Lazy[Generic.Aux[A, H]], depth: Depth[H]): Depth[A] = createDepth { a =>
    depth.depth(gen.value.to(a))
  }
}


object DepthApp {

  case class Coordinate(x: Int, y: Int)
  sealed trait Shape
  case class Circle(radius: Int, center: Coordinate) extends Shape
  case class Rectangle(corner1: Coordinate, corner2: Coordinate) extends Shape
  case class Triangle(corner1: Coordinate, corner2: Coordinate, corner3: Coordinate) extends Shape

  case class Surface(name: String, shape1: Shape, shape2: Shape)
  
  def depth[A](value: A)(implicit depth: Depth[A]): Int = depth.depth(value)
  def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
    import Depth._
    val c1 = Coordinate(1, 2)
    val c2 = Coordinate(3, 4)
    val c3 = Coordinate(5, 6)
    val c4 = Coordinate(7, 8)

    val circle1 = Circle(2, c1)
    val rectangle1 = Rectangle(c2, c3)
    val triangle1 = Triangle(c1, c2, c3)

    val surface1 = Surface("surface1", circle1, rectangle1)
    
    println(s"Coordinate depth: ${depth(c1)}")
    println(s"Circle depth: ${depth(circle1)}")
    println(s"Rectangle1 depth: ${depth(rectangle1)}")
    println(s"Triangle1 depth: ${depth(triangle1)}")
    println(s"Surface1 depth: ${depth(surface1)}")
    
  }

The genericDepth is wrong, thanks @diff
The right is
implicit def genericDepth[A, H](implicit gen: Generic.Aux[A, H], depth: Lazy[Depth[H]]): Depth[A] = createDepth { a =>
depth.value.depth(gen.to(a))
}