Type Hinting Library
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A Type Hinting Library is a software library that facilitates type hinting in programming languages.
- Context:
- It can (typically) provide mechanisms to specify the types of variables, return types of functions, and argument types in function definitions, enhancing code readability and maintainability.
- It can (often) include support for complex types like generics, unions, and callable types, enabling developers to express a wide range of type constraints.
- It can be used by static type checkers, Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), and linters to detect type-related errors in code, improving code quality and reducing runtime errors.
- It can include backporting capabilities, allowing use of newer type hinting features in older versions of a language (e.g., Python's `typing_extensions` library).
- It can support dynamic typing languages by offering optional type hints, thus not enforcing type constraints at runtime but providing benefits during development.
- It can (often) work in conjunction with the language's runtime system to provide runtime type checking and enforcement in some languages.
- It can also include utilities for defining custom types, extending the language's built-in type system.
- ...
- Example(s):
- In Python, typing-extensions Library and typing` module provides support for type hints, with classes like `List`, `Dict`, and `Optional`.
- The `typing_extensions` library in Python offers additional type hinting capabilities not yet included in the standard `typing` module.
- ...
- Counter-Example(s):
- a Runtime Library.
- a Standard Library in a programming language.
- See: Static Type Checking, Dynamic Typing, Python Programming Language, Software Development, Code Quality.