Python from Wise Guy's Viewpoint

Andreas Rossberg rossberg at ps.uni-sb.de
Thu Oct 23 12:35:47 EDT 2003


Pascal Costanza wrote:
> Matthias Blume wrote:
> 
>> Pascal Costanza <costanza at web.de> writes:
>>
>>
>>> Matthias Blume wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> PS: When I say "untyped" I mean it as in "the _untyped_ lambda
>>>> calculus".
>>>
>>>
>>> What terms would you use to describe the difference between
>>> dynamically and weakly typed languages, then?
>>>
>>>
>>> For example, Smalltalk is clearly "more" typed than C is. Describing
>>> both as "untyped" seems a little bit unfair to me.
>>
>>
>>
>> Safe and unsafe.
>>
>> BTW, C is typed, Smalltalk is untyped.  C's type system just happens
>> to be unsound (in the sense that, as you observed, well-typed programs
>> can still be unsafe).
> 
> 
> Can you give me a reference to a paper, or some other literature, that 
> defines the terminology that you use?
> 
> I have tried to find a consistent set of terms for this topic, and have 
> only found the paper "Type Systems" by Luca Cardelli 
> (http://www.luca.demon.co.uk/Bibliography.htm#Type systems )
> 
> He uses the terms of static vs. dynamic typing and strong vs. weak 
> typing, and these are described as orthogonal classifications. I find 
> this terminology very clear, consistent and useful. But I am open to a 
> different terminology.

My copy,

   http://research.microsoft.com/Users/luca/Papers/TypeSystems.A4.pdf

on page 3 defines safety as orthogonal to typing in the way Matthias 
suggested.

-- 
Andreas Rossberg, rossberg at ps.uni-sb.de

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac Man affected us
  as kids, we would all be running around in darkened rooms, munching
  magic pills, and listening to repetitive electronic music."
  - Kristian Wilson, Nintendo Inc.





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