skarntype

Skarntype is a term used in several technical discussions to describe a class of types or categories that blend discrete classification with continuous variation. There is no single, universally accepted definition, and the exact meaning tends to vary by author or domain. The term appears mainly in informal writings, language-design notes, and speculative discussions about type systems and data schemas.

In type theory and programming language design, a skarntype refers to a parametric or dependent type that carries an associated scalar parameter. Such a type can express constraints that vary along a numeric axis, enabling representations of quantities such as measurements, resource limits, or quality metrics while preserving static soundness. For example, a skarntype could model a sensor reading that is either an exact value or a value annotated with an allowable error bound, with the bound being a real-valued parameter attached to the type.

In data modeling and API schemas, skarntype is used to denote schema elements that admit both fixed categories and range-based constraints. This enables schemas to capture, in a single construct, both enumerated labels and numeric intervals or tolerances. Implementations are not standardized, and practitioners often use a mix of existing constructs such as union types, refinement types, or interval types to simulate skarntype behavior.

Relation to other concepts: The idea overlaps with dependent types, refinement types, interval arithmetic, and polymorphic parameterization. It is sometimes proposed as a design pattern for expressing multi-faceted data constraints while maintaining type-level safety.

Related topics include type systems, dependent types, refinement types, interval types, and polymorphism.