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Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic

17 replies on 2 pages. Most recent reply: Aug 4, 2004 8:42 PM by Chris Dutton

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Aahz

Posts: 14
Nickname: aahz
Registered: May, 2003

Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic (View in Weblogs)
Posted: Jul 15, 2003 8:35 PM
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Summary
With the advent of languages such as Python, the debate over typing has heated up again. Contrary to some claims (notably from Bruce Eckel), I believe Python has strong typing, and this article explains why.
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What is a "type", anyway?

Before talking about what kind of type system a language supports, we should establish agreement about what a type is in the first place. My definition is that a type is metadata about a chunk of memory that classifies the kind of data stored there. This classification usually implicitly specifies what kinds of operations may be performed on the data.

Common types include primitive types (strings and numbers), container types (lists/arrays and dictionaries/hashes), and user-defined types (classes). In Python, everything is an object, and every object has a type. In other words, functions, modules, and stack frames are also types.

So what's "strong typing", then?

From my POV, strong typing prevents mixing operations between mismatched types. In order to mix types, you must use an explicit conversion. Here's a simple Python example:

>>> 1 + "1"
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "", line 1, in ?
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for +: 'int' and 'str'
>>> 1 + 1
2
>>> "1" + "1"
'11'
>>> 1 + int("1")
2
>>> "1" + str(1)
'11'

Conversely, weak typing means that you can mix types without an explicit conversion. Consider this example from Perl:

  DB<1> print "1"+1
2
  DB<2> print "1".1
11

Note that conversion is not the same thing as coercion, IMO. Coercion occurs when you have a statically-typed language and you use the syntactic features of the language to force the usage of one type as if it were a different type (consider the common use of void* in C). Coercion is usually a symptom of weak typing. Conversion, OTOH, creates a brand-new object of the appropriate type.

Why do some people think Python has weak typing?

Historically, "strong typing" has been associated with static typing. Languages noted for strong typing include Pascal and Ada; languages noted for weak typing (most notoriously BASIC) had primarily dynamic typing. But the language that ought to be most notorious for weak typing has static typing: C/C++ (yes, I'm lumping them together)

It's very clear that Python has only dynamic typing; any target may hold a binding to any kind of object. More than that, Pythonic programming style is to use inheritance primarily for implementation; Python's name-based polymorphism means that you rarely need to inherit for interface. In fact, the primary exception to inheriting for implementation is Python exceptions, which uses issubclass() for the purpose of determining which exceptions get caught by an except clause.

I might even go so far as to say that Python's name-based polymorphism is hyperpolymorphic. And therein lies the tiny kernel of truth about Python's weak typing. People who have gotten used to Java and C++ requiring syntactic support to declare typing often feel uncomfortable with the Pythonic style of relying on run-time exceptions to get thrown when an inappropriate object is passed around:


class Silly:
    def __init__(self, data):
        self.data = data
    def __add__(self, other):
        return str(self.data) + str(other.data)

def double(a):
    return a + a

print double(1)
print double('x')
print double([1])
print double(Silly({'a':1}))
print double({'a':1})
produces

2
xx
[1, 1]
{'a': 1}{'a': 1}
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "test.py", line 14, in ?
    print double({'a':1})
  File "test.py", line 8, in double
    return a + a
TypeError: unsupported operand types for +: 'dict' and 'dict'

Bruce Eckel equates "weak typing" with "latent typing", but that's at odds with historical usage, not to mention that it confuses the two axes of strong/weak and static/dynamic.

Sidebar: Name-based polymorphism

For those of you unfamiliar with Python, here's a quick intro to name-based polymorphism. Python objects have an internal dictionary that contains a string for every attribute and method. When you access an attribute or method in Python code, Python simply looks up the string in the dict. Therefore, if what you want is a class that works like a file, you don't need to inherit from file, you just create a class that has the file methods that are needed.

Python also defines a bunch of special methods that get called by the appropriate syntax. For example, a+b is equivalent to a.__add__(b). There are a few places in Python's internals where it directly manipulates built-in objects, but name-based polymorphism works as you expect about 98% of the time.

Resources

Discussions of types

TUNES : Type System
http://cliki.tunes.org/Type%20System

type from FOLDOC
http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?type

Python & Java: Side by Side Comparison
http://www.ferg.org/projects/python_java_side-by-side.html

Bruce Eckel and Python's weak typing

Artima Interview: Type Checking and Techie Control
http://www.artima.com/intv/typing.html

Strong Typing vs. Strong Testing
http://mindview.net/WebLog/log-0025


Isaac Gouy

Posts: 527
Nickname: igouy
Registered: Jul, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 16, 2003 12:24 PM
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Contrary to some claims (notably from Bruce Eckel)
Seems like the use of terminology in "Type Checking and Techie Control" was a bit lax. It reads like Bruce Eckel was commenting on other peoples mis-application of weak typing to Python (rather than supporting that usage).

Frank Mitchell brought some clarity to this back in February (in the Strong versus Weak Typing discussion). For completeness we should mention that there are Typeless languages like BCPL.


Historically, "strong typing" has been associated with static typing
Smalltalk-80 had strong-dynamic-typing more than 20 years ago, so this debate sometimes feels like re-warmed leftovers (just replace mention of Ada 95 or C++ with Java, and replace mention of Smalltalk with Python).


Things have moved on:
- Soft typing is an approach to type checking for dynamically typed langnages. Like a static type checker, a soft type checker infers syntactic types for identifiers and expressions. But rather than reject programs containing untypable fragments, a soft type checker inserts explicit run-time checks to ensure safe execution.

- Type Inference (as Frank Mitchell mentioned) for languages like Clean, Haskell, ML, the compiler is able to determine the type of a function automatically. It does so when type checking a program.


Rather than debate whether the old approach to dynamic typing provided by Python, is better than the old approach to static typing provided Java; ask when Python will have support for Soft Typing, ask when Java will have Type Inference.

Isaac Gouy

Posts: 527
Nickname: igouy
Registered: Jul, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 16, 2003 3:30 PM
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A word to the wise, it may be days before you remerge from the wiki ;-)

Static Typing http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?StaticTyping

Dynamic Typing http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?DynamicTyping

Benefits of Dynamic Typing http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?BenefitsOfDynamicTyping

Benefits of Dynamic Typing Discussion http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?BenefitsOfDynamicTypingDiscussion

Tim Lesher

Posts: 2
Nickname: leshert
Registered: Mar, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 16, 2003 10:35 PM
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> Therefore, if what you want is a
> class that works
> like a file, you don't need to inherit from
> <code>file</code>, you just
> create a class that has the <code>file</code> methods that
> are needed.

It's worth noting that Python isn't alone in shifting away from inheritance. C++ is doing the same thing in STL: as long as a class implements the right methods, the template doesn't care what it's working with.

Steve Ferg

Posts: 1
Nickname: steveferg
Registered: Jul, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 17, 2003 11:58 AM
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Of possible interest...
http://www.ferg.org/projects/python_java_side-by-side.html#typing

Frank Mitchell

Posts: 37
Nickname: fmitchell
Registered: Jan, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 17, 2003 6:35 PM
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> Rather than debate whether the old approach to
> dynamic typing provided by Python, is better than the
> old approach to static typing provided Java;
> ask when Python will have support for Soft Typing, ask
> when Java will have Type Inference.

Type Inference in ML, as I understand it, assumes that each function and operator has well-defined argument and result types. For that reason, Standard ML needs explicit types to distinguish integer math from floating-point math, and OCaml actually uses different operators for floating point: "+.", "-.", "*.", etc. Object-oriented polymorphism complicates this sort of analysis, since the meaning of the method depends on the type of receiver, whcih could be one of types that needs inferring.

APIs using Soft Typing preclude "name-based typing" or "duck typing" that gives Python some of its power. For example, mock objecs are much easier to implement if they don't have to subclass an existing class in order to compile or run, or implement more methods that a test uses. Also, being able to "fake" an existing standard type can simplify production code that loads data lazily from a database or network. In both cases, one can't pass a Socket-like or Customer-like class (for example) unless it extends or implements Socket or Customer. (Note that Java 1.3+ can dynamically generate implementations for interfaces, but dynamic subclasses requires deep ClassLoader and bytecode magic.) For those applications, you're back to the limitations of Static Typing; the programmer needs some way to fool the compiler and/or runtime into thinking that an arbitrary object is really a Socket or Customer ... whick defeats the point.

Isaac Gouy

Posts: 527
Nickname: igouy
Registered: Jul, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 17, 2003 10:32 PM
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I'm glad someone is questioning the rhetoric :-)

Type Inference in ML
My understanding is just about good enough to follow this explanation "Understanding why Ocaml doesn't support operator overloading"
http://caml.inria.fr/archives/200211/msg00347.html

Clean & Haskell take a different approach and support operator overloading. Which means that sometimes you have to provide type information.

Once we add objects and polymorphic subtyping (as you say) more compromises are required - although supposedly O'Haskell rarely requires explicit type information.

(It's worth mentioning that many of the users of these languages love to explicitly declare type information.)

Static typing in Nice
Perhaps the Nice language is a better example of a programming language with a more expressive static typing than Java. Nice compiles to Java bytecodes, and may yet support some form of type inference.


Soft Typing precludes "name-based typing"
Is Soft Typing tied to structural type equivalence, which prevents it from being useful with a language that uses name equivalence - Python - or is it just really difficult to implement?

In anycase, let's see what else has been going on ;-)

Maybe we should be asking when Python will have type recovery tools like SmallTyper? (Seems as though some work is going on in that direction)

Bruce Eckel

Posts: 875
Nickname: beckel
Registered: Jun, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 21, 2003 6:20 AM
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I have gotten a few replies from people who are annoyed at the idea that I could consider Python "weak" in any way. And I appreciate that Aahz has, at least, sprinkled his comments with "IMOs".

Having worked in depth with C, C++, and Java, I am quite aware of the distinction between static and dynamic typing. Pre-ANSI C ignored a lot of type checking (one reason the benefits of C++ were so dramatic, and also why ANSI C type checking was greatly improved), and C is statically typed -- there are no runtime mechanisms that check type. But more sophisticated languages are not one or the other. C++ is primarily statically typed, but it does have a small amount of dynamic typing. Java and C# do a lot of static type checking, but they also have significant information available at runtime, such as array lengths and RTTI that is used to dynamically check casts. These languages have additional size and runtime overhead in order to produce the extra dynamic behavior, but we've generally found it to be a worthwhile tradeoff.

In general, static type checking means "things the compiler can check at compile time." Python does do a little static type checking whenever it can, but as Aahz pointed out it is primarily dynamically checked.

Strong vs. Weak/Latent typing, on the other hand, talks about the constraints imposed upon the types when they are used. As noted, people are sometimes offended by the idea that Python could be considered "weak", but this is actually a very powerful concept. It definitely doesn't mean that Python is careless about types, but rather that Python isn't fanatic about types. Instead, it only cares as much as it has to. Put another way, weak typing means that Python will not be strident about the way that you use objects -- if you try to send a message to an object, and the object might be able to accept that message, then a strongly-typed language will say "hey, you said you would only ever call 'speak' for a pet object, and here you are calling it for a robot! No way!" Instead, Python will say "If you think that will work, I'll trust you and try it."

def communicate(anything):
# ...
anything.speak()
# ...

class Pet:
def speak(self): pass

class Dog(Pet):
def speak(self): print "Arf!"

class Robot:
def speak(self): print "Click!"

communicate(Dog())
communicate(Robot())

You could say that the real distinction between a strongly typed and weakly typed language comes in the function argument list:

def communicate(anything):

There is no type constraint here, which says that Python doesn't require you to pass any particular type of object into the function. C++, Java and C# all require you to say precisely the type of object you are going to pass in, and the only flexibility you have is whether you pass a subtype of the declared class. Python, on the other hand, "weakens" the type constraint so that you don't have to jump through a bunch of hoops in order to express yourself. So "weak" is really "powerful."

This doesn't mean that Python doesn't care at all. If you pass an object into communicate() that doesn't have a speak() method, that's not OK. The type system doesn't allow you to send the wrong message to an object, but as Aahz points out, the determination of the type violation is dynamic rather than static -- you find out at runtime that the type has been used incorrectly, rather than statically, at compile time. This, I think, is why people are often confused: "weak" typing can sound as if it means you can get away with anything that you want, which isn't true, and so it might be less confusing to use the term "latent".

Note that C++ went to a great deal of trouble to provide a kind of weak typing mechanism with templates, and Java and C# are following suit. This is "weak typing in a strongly typed language" so the checking still happens at compile time (at least in C++; indications are that some amount of RTTI will be used with Java and C#), but the effect for the programmer is the same: I can call communicate() and pass it any type that supports the speak() method. To accomplish this in C++/Java/C# with their template mechanism requires a lot more burnt offerings at the altar of strong static type checking, but those folks get the warm fuzzies of compile-time error messages (if you've ever seen a C++ compiler barf over a misused template, you'll understand I'm being sarcastic here -- we'll see if Java or C# can produce something more comprehensible). I have learned that the safety provided by strong static type checking is only an illusion (you still need to write tests before you can trust your code), so the benefits of Python's weak/latent typing far outweigh the perceived disadvantages.

I have had a weblog about this on my todo list for awhile, and Aahz's posting has helped me refine the ideas (which I obviously need to present in a clearer fashion than I have accomplished so far). Keep watching http://mindview.net/WebLog and it will eventually appear.

Bjorn Pettersen

Posts: 1
Nickname: bjorn
Registered: Jul, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 22, 2003 12:18 PM
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<pre>
def communicate(anything):
#...
anything.speak()
#...
</pre>

<i>There is no type constraint here...</i>

Well, there is no <i>explicit</i> type constraint there. The implicit type constraint however is:

<pre>
function communicate(forall x:{speak:A}) : B
</pre>

Meaning, communicate is a function that will take as argument all objects which type responds/conforms to the message/interface "speak" (where speak has the message-constraints/interface defined by A). Finally, "communicate" returns an object with constraints/interface defined by B.

Constraint terminology is usually used if the compiler autonomously discovers the constraints, interface terminology if the programmer states them explicitly (C++ templates being a notable exception to this rule :-).

Giving types to the rest of your example follows

<pre>
class Pet:
def speak(self): pass
</pre>
<i>Pet:{speak:()->Nothing}</i>

etc. This is the foundation of "soft-typing" (partial interface inference), i.e. constraints are carried around the type inference engine until it reaches a point where it doesn't have enough information, it then adds a dynamic assertion about the type and continues on...

-- bjorn

Bryn Keller

Posts: 3
Nickname: xoltar
Registered: Jul, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 23, 2003 1:50 PM
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Possibly also of interest: This is a response to Bruce's original article. It discusses how modern static typing in languages like Haskell and Nice is becoming more useful and less oppressive all the time. It covers some of the same sorts of points that Bjorn just raised, with examples.

Modern Static Typing: Less Code, Better Code (or, "How Java/C++/C# Ruin Static Typing for the Rest of Us")

http://www.xoltar.org/misc/static_typing_eckel.html

John Landahl

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Nickname: jpl
Registered: Jul, 2003

Adaptation vs. type checking Posted: Jul 25, 2003 12:58 PM
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This may be slightly off topic, but of possible interest here is the concept of adaptation as proposed in PEP-246 (http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0246.html) and implemented in PyProtocols (http://peak.telecommunity.com/PyProtocols.html) .

The concept of adaptation deals with the issue of type in an very powerful and dynamic way. Using adaptation one simply asks for a version of an object that's suitable for a particular purpose. For example, if one expects to use an object as a dictionary one could say aDict = adapt(anObject, dict) and be assured that the returned object will work as one. If anObject itself is or can work as a dictionary it will be returned directly by adapt(). Otherwise adapt() will look for a suitable adapter which can provide dictionary functionality on behalf of anObject.

The second parameter to adapt() is considered a protocol, which in practice usually means a basic type or an interface. PyProtocols provides flexible and powerful interface objects for Python which can be used for much more advanced adaptation cases than the simple dictionary example.

The main advantage of adaptation over standard type checking/handling techniques (e.g. testing by type() or wrapping with try/except) is the ability to provide adapters for pretty much any conceivable purpose. Liberal use of adapt() throughout one's code brings about a very high level of flexibility that's simply not possible using conventional coding techniques.

Aahz

Posts: 14
Nickname: aahz
Registered: May, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Jul 28, 2003 11:46 AM
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Bruce Eckel:
>
> This, I think, is
> why people are often confused: "weak" typing can sound as
> if it means you can get away with anything that you want,
> which isn't true, and so it might be less confusing to use
> the term "latent".

But "weak typing" has been historically used to describe the
kind of permissive coercion and casting that can be done in C/C++ and
Perl. If we adopt your meaning for "weak typing", what's an appropriate
phrase for that? Since "latent typing" covers what you want to talk
about, I think "weak typing" should be restricted to what it sounds like.

Isaac Gouy

Posts: 527
Nickname: igouy
Registered: Jul, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Aug 19, 2003 2:47 PM
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why people are often confused: "weak" typing can sound as if it means you can get away with anything that you want, which isn't true, and so it might be less confusing to use the term "latent".'

What I'm finding confusing is the continued use of the vague perjorative terms "strong typing" "weak typing" and now "latent typing"!

Let's be explicit:
1 are there type constraints on variables?
2 are there type contraints on runtime values?
3 are the type constraints checked without running the software?

static typing
1 Yes 2 No 3 Yes

dynamic typing
1 No 2 Yes 3 No

typeless
1 No 2 No 3 N/A

static and dynamic typing
1 Yes 2 Yes 3 Some

(and other combinations)


"the real distinction between a strongly typed and weakly typed language comes in the function argument list:

def communicate(anything):

There is no type constraint here, which says that Python doesn't require you to pass any particular type of object into the function. C++, Java and C# all require you to say precisely the type of object you are going to pass in"


Why is that different than the distinction between static typing (type constraint on parameter variable) and dynamic typing / typeless?

Why use the terms strong typing and weak typing when you are distinguishing between static typing and dynamic typing? That is confusing.

Isaac Gouy

Posts: 527
Nickname: igouy
Registered: Jul, 2003

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Aug 28, 2003 8:52 AM
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These definitions are paraphrased from the "Handbook of Computer Science and Engineering" - the chapter is available online
http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/cardelli97type.html

typed - languages where variables can be given types
untyped - languages that do not restrict the range of variables

explicitly typed - types are part of the language syntax
implicitly typed - types are not part of the syntax

trapped errors - let the program stop immediately
untrapped errors - unnoticed, cause arbitrary behaviour
safe program - does not cause untrapped errors

static checking - compile time checks prevent unsafe programs from ever running
dynamic checking - run time checks keep a program safe

strong checking - no untrapped errors can occur
weak checking - some untrapped errors can occur

typed untyped
safe ML LISP
unsafe C Assembler

Premshree Pillai

Posts: 478
Nickname: premshree
Registered: Mar, 2004

Re: Typing: Strong vs. Weak, Static vs. Dynamic Posted: Mar 28, 2004 1:05 AM
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A lot of confusion lurks around the concepts of static/dynamic and strong/weak typing. An example here: http://groups.google.co.in/groups?th=321b49cd37c53fd1

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