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Everything about Type conversion

Changing an expression from one data type to another

In computer science, type conversion, type casting, type coercion, and type juggling are different ways of changing an expression from one data type to another. An example would be the conversion of an integer value into a floating point value or its textual representation as a string, and vice versa. Type conversions can take advantage of certain features of type hierarchies or data representations. Two important aspects of a type conversion are whether it happens implicitly (automatically) or explicitly, and whether the underlying data representation is converted from one representation into another, or a given representation is merely reinterpreted as the representation of another data type. In general, both primitive and compound data types can be converted. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: Type conversionA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Obesity management as a primary treatment goal for type 2 diabetes: time to reframe the conversationInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Life on the MississippiThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: Understanding Conversion-Type Electrodes for Lithium Rechargeable BatteriesCited 331 times
  5. Go sideways: Type punningA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Type safetyA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

Noun changing an entity from one datatype to another according to explicit or implicit rules.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. Explicit casting in various languages
  2. Type assertion
  3. Implicit casting using untagged unions
  4. Security issues

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

🔗 Related topics