What is the difference between type safety and type erasure?

What is the difference between type safety and type erasure?

Type safety ensures that variables are used consistently according to their data types, preventing type errors. Type erasure, on the other hand, is a mechanism where type information is removed during compilation, often seen in languages like Java with generics.

Can you give an example of type safety in action?

Sure! In a type-safe language like TypeScript, if you declare a variable as a number, trying to assign a string to it will result in a compile-time error.

What are the advantages of type safety?

Type safety helps catch errors early in the development process, improves code readability, and enhances maintainability by making the code's intent clearer.

How does type erasure affect performance?

Type erasure can improve performance by reducing the amount of type information that needs to be stored at runtime, but it may also lead to runtime type checks that can introduce overhead.

Are there languages that use both type safety and type erasure?

Yes, languages like Java use type safety with generics while employing type erasure to maintain compatibility with older versions of the language.