typingor

Typingor is a fictional construct used in discussions of type systems in programming languages. It appears in teaching materials and thought experiments to explore how types might interact when static and dynamic typing converge. The term combines typing with the conjunction or, signaling a union or choice between types within a single expression.

Concept and design goals: In the imagined model, Typingor is an operator or annotation that, given two types A and B, yields a composite type representing "A or B." Depending on the description, Typingor can be used to annotate variables, function parameters, or return values. It may be implemented via runtime checks, static inference, or a mix of both. Some renditions treat Typingor as a progressive union type, others as a conditional type that resolves based on a runtime condition or compile-time flag. The goal is to study how type safety can be preserved when code paths may operate with different kinds of values.

Relation to existing concepts: Typingor sits alongside union types, optional types, coercions, and gradual typing. It serves as a thought experiment about expressiveness, error reporting, and performance implications of more flexible type systems.

Status and usage: Because Typingor is not part of any widely adopted language feature, there are no standardized syntax or semantics. It is primarily a pedagogical device used to illustrate potential design decisions and their trade-offs.