DenkzeitWiki

Python Typing

Why?

The possibility to optimize at compile-time. (No!)

To find some bugs (typos, type mismatches (taking the square root of an dictionary)) early.

• http://www.python.org/sigs/types-sig/ --The Python type system SIG
  
  
• http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=85551 --Adding Optional Static Typing to Python
  • http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=89161 --Python Optional Typechecking Redux
  
  
• http://pychecker.sourceforge.net/ --PyChecker
  
  
• Interfaces or Abstract Base Classes? (PythonAbstractBaseClasses)
  • MonkeyTyping
  • GenericFunctions
    
  
  
• A quest for pythonic interfaces
  • Interfaces are purely abstract classes
• http://python.org/peps/pep-0245.html --Python Interface Syntax
  
  
• Python 3000 - Adaptation or Generic Functions?
  • killed: PEP 246 (adaptation) and PEP 245 (interfaces)
  
  
• [Python-3000] Generic functions
  
  
• Python Interfaces are not Java Interfaces

I suspect more mileage will be found with type inference rather than explicit type declarations, and this would allow Python to stay Python.[1]

If the object supports all the methods in the interface, then it implements the interface.[2]

A unit test can define not just the signature, but also semantics of objects. This can include any condition expressable in Python, including things like pre-/post- conditions and invariants. As I see it, this provides all the power of interfaces, without needing any additional language magic.[3]

• http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=2&url=http%3A//www.python.org/pycon/dc2004/papers/1/paper.pdf&ei=2YwcQ7LiOrTUwgH15LW_Cw --Faster than C: Static Type Inference with Starkiller
• http://www.python.org/workshops/2000-01/proceedings/papers/aycock/aycock.html --Aggressive Type Inference