Type Checking
Type checking is the process of verifying the accuracy of data entered into a computer program. This can be done manually, by a programmer, or automatically, by the program itself. Type checking is important because it helps to ensure that the data entered into a program is valid and can be used by the program to produce the desired results. Invalid data can cause a program to produce incorrect results or to crash. Type checking is typically performed by the compiler, which is the program that translates a program from its source code into the machine code that can be executed by a computer. The compiler checks the types of the data that are used in the program and compares them to the types that are expected by the program. If the types do not match, the compiler will generate an error message. Type checking can also be performed at run time, which is when the program is actually executed. In this case, the program will check the types of the data that are used during execution and will generate an error if the types do not match. Run-time type checking is typically more expensive than compile-time type checking, because it requires the program to stop and check the data types every time it is used. Type checking is an important process in programming languages because it helps to ensure that the data that is entered into a program is valid and can be used by the program to produce the desired results. Invalid data can cause a program to produce incorrect results or to crash. |