Chapter 1. Introduction to typing
This chapter covers
- Why type systems exist
- Benefits of strongly typed code
- Types of type systems
- Common features of type systems
The Mars Climate Orbiter disintegrated in the planet’s atmosphere because a component developed by Lockheed produced momentum measurements in pound-force seconds (U.S. units), whereas another component developed by NASA expected momentum to be measured in Newton seconds (metric units). Using different types for the two measures would have prevented the catastrophe.
As we will see throughout this book, type checkers provide powerful ways to eliminate whole classes of errors, provided they are given enough information. As software complexity increases, so does the need to provide ...
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