Statically-Typed vs. Dynamically-Typed Programming Languages
Understanding Type Systems: A Comprehensive Guide to Statically-Typed and Dynamically-Typed Languages
In the diverse world of programming languages, one fundamental categorization that differentiates them is whether they are statically-typed or dynamically-typed. This distinction fundamentally affects how a language is used, how it behaves, and the kind of errors and bugs you might encounter. Understanding these differences is crucial for programmers to choose the right tool for their specific tasks.
Statically-Typed Languages
In statically-typed languages, the type of every variable and expression is known at compile time. That means before the program runs, the compiler checks the types and ensures that, for instance, you’re not trying to add a number to a string.
Key Characteristics
Type Checking at Compile Time: Errors related to types are caught during the compilation process. This early detection can prevent many runtime errors and bugs.
Explicit Type Declaration: In most statically-typed languages, the programmer must specify the type of each variable (like `int`, `double`, `String` in Java).
