From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.3 (2006-06-01) on yquem.inria.fr X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.0 required=5.0 tests=none autolearn=disabled version=3.1.3 Received: from discorde.inria.fr (discorde.inria.fr [192.93.2.38]) by yquem.inria.fr (Postfix) with ESMTP id 41F0ABC0A for ; Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:33:00 +0100 (CET) Received: from mail14.bluewin.ch (mail14.bluewin.ch [195.186.19.62]) by discorde.inria.fr (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id kBMHWxgQ005282 for ; Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:33:00 +0100 Received: from [10.0.1.2] (85.1.98.201) by mail14.bluewin.ch (Bluewin 7.3.118) id 457D697400336A10; Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:32:58 +0000 In-Reply-To: References: <6dbd4d000612201941wcd4b09anc503a13889576512@mail.gmail.com> <20061221153413.8f99e8ed.mle+ocaml@mega-nerd.com> <1166685756.5337.4.camel@rosella.wigram> <458A8C7B.7050204@hq.idt.net> <1166709162.5653.11.camel@rosella.wigram> <458AA143.3090303@hq.idt.net> <20061221202520.GG9440@apotheon.com> <20061221221650.GL9440@apotheon.com> <3EC73FC3-41A6-4FB1-9549-29286A6568CC@epfl.ch> Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v752.2) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; delsp=yes; format=flowed Message-Id: Cc: caml-list@yquem.inria.fr Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Daniel_B=FCnzli?= Subject: Re: strong/weak typing terminology (was Re: [Caml-list] Scripting in ocaml) Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:34:27 +0100 To: Tom X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.752.2) X-Miltered: at discorde with ID 458C16CB.002 by Joe's j-chkmail (http://j-chkmail . ensmp . fr)! X-Spam: no; 0.00; bunzli:01 buenzli:01 ocaml:01 compiler:01 runtime:01 semantics:01 wikipedia:01 wiki:01 typing:01 typing:01 caml-list:01 expressive:01 epfl:02 string:02 strong:96 Le 22 d=E9c. 06 =E0 17:51, Tom a =E9crit : > But this chart is not expressive enough... Its aim is not to describe anything you can say about programming =20 languages. It describes the particular notion that Chad was implying =20 by "strong" typing. > I believe that the properties implied by "weak/strong" refer to the =20= > ability (or the disability) of the compiler/runtime (or rather =20 > semantics of the language) to change types at will (actually, =20 > whenever this seems useful, in cases such as "string" + 7 or "9" - =20 > "3"). That's _one_ of the bullet points listed in [1] as a _possible_ =20 meaning for weak/strong typing. Note that your reaction makes my =20 point : do not use the notion of weak/strong typing it always mean =20 something different to other persons and hence it doesn't mean anything. A language that has the property you describe can simply be said to =20 have implicit type conversions. Best, Daniel [1]