What is the difference between implicit and explicit coercion in programming?

What is the difference between implicit and explicit coercion in programming?

Implicit coercion is when a value is automatically converted to another type by the language, while explicit coercion is when the programmer manually converts a value.

Can you give me an example of implicit coercion?

Sure! In JavaScript, if you add a number and a string, like 5 + '5', the number is implicitly converted to a string, resulting in '55'.

And what about explicit coercion?

An example of explicit coercion is using the Number() function to convert a string to a number, like Number('5') which results in 5.

Why is understanding coercion important in programming?

Understanding coercion helps prevent bugs and ensures that your code behaves as expected, especially when dealing with different data types.