Newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.lang.objective-c,comp.object
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!cornellcs!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!portc01.blue.aol.com!portc02.blue.aol.com!howland.erols.net!spool.mu.edu!munnari.OZ.AU!news.mel.connect.com.au!news.syd.connect.com.au!syd.csa.com.au!news
From: donh@syd.csa.com.au (Don Harrison)
Subject: Combining dynamic and static typing
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: dev50
Message-ID: <E4G92y.1CD@syd.csa.com.au>
Sender: news@syd.csa.com.au
Reply-To: donh@syd.csa.com.au
Organization: CSC Australia, Sydney
References: <32E6797A.6E21@parcplace.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 07:06:34 GMT
Lines: 23
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.lang.eiffel:17552 comp.lang.ada:56311 comp.lang.c++:242363 comp.lang.smalltalk:49709 comp.lang.objective-c:6282 comp.object:60163

Dynamic and static typing both seem to have their place. Devotees of the former
extol the virtues of rapid development and devotees of the latter praise
its greater reliability.

What I'm wondering is whether it would be useful to have a development 
environment in which you had the option of using either. For example,
you may choose to write a system that may be completely dynamically-typed,
or partly dynamic and partly static, or completely static. For increased 
reliability, the development environment would come along after and fill in 
the missing types for you. It might do this by type inference and by using
data retained from individual executions. Inferred types might be displayed 
in a different colour in a visual programming environment and, if confirmed 
by the developer, displayed as though the developer had supplied them.

I know Cecil allows combined some form of dynamic/static typing but I'm not
sure how it works.


Don.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Don Harrison             donh@syd.csa.com.au


