From: Joel VanderWerf <vjoel@...>
Date: 2003-04-12T13:40:07+09:00
Subject: Re: Does dynamic typing make it easier to place an object in a container?

Mark Wilson wrote:
> The following is from 
> http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objective_C_programming_language
> 
> Is this a correct statement about the value of dynamic typing? And what 
> exactly does it mean?
> 
> "However when one does need dynamic typing, it becomes tremendously 
> powerful. Consider a simple example, placing an object in a container. 
> In strongly-typed [sic] languages like C++ and Java, the programmer is 
> forced to write a container class for a generic type of object, and then 
> cast back and forth between the abstract generic type and the real type 
> (C++ can also use templates, but many find these somewhat cumbersome and 
> obscure). Sadly, casting breaks the discipline of strong typing -- if 
> you put in an Integer and read out a String, you get an error. This is 
> annoying when you consider that it was a string when you put it in there 
> three lines earlier, and now you have to tell the compiler that it's a 
> string coming back out just to call toUpperCase(). Dynamic typing 
> thankfully removes this problem."

For a great explanation, see Pragmatic Dave's article at:

http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/cgi-local/pragprog?JavaIsUntyped