How is duck typing different from static typing?

Can you explain the difference between duck typing and static typing?

Sure! Duck typing is a concept in dynamic languages where the type of an object is determined by its behavior (methods and properties) rather than its explicit type. In contrast, static typing requires the type of a variable to be defined at compile time.

Can you give me an example of duck typing?

Absolutely! In Python, if you have a function that expects an object to have a 'quack' method, any object that has that method can be passed to the function, regardless of its actual type. This is duck typing: "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck!"

What are the advantages of using duck typing?

Duck typing allows for more flexible and reusable code since it focuses on what an object can do rather than what it is. This can lead to easier integration of different types of objects.

Are there any downsides to duck typing?

Yes, one downside is that errors related to type mismatches may only be caught at runtime, which can lead to bugs that are harder to debug compared to statically typed languages.