Here's a breakdown of these three concepts in Python:

1. Dynamic Typing:

  • Python is a dynamically typed language. This means that the type of a variable is not declared when it's created but determined at runtime based on the value assigned to it.
  • For example:

Python
x = 5  # x is an integer (int)
x = "Hello"  # x is now a string (str)

  • This flexibility can be convenient for rapid development but might lead to errors if you accidentally assign incompatible types later in your code.

2. Stubs:

  • Stubs are special files (usually with the .pyi extension) that provide type information for existing Python modules or libraries.
  • They are not actual code but act as a blueprint for static type checkers like mypy.
  • Stubs help static type checkers understand the expected types of functions, variables, and arguments in a module. This allows for early detection of potential type errors.
  • You don't typically need to create stubs for standard library modules as they come with pre-defined stubs.
  • However, if you're working with a third-party library that lacks stubs or has incomplete ones, you might need to create your own stubs.

3. Namespaces:

  • Namespaces are a way of organizing code and preventing naming conflicts.
  • In Python, modules create namespaces. When you import a module, its functions, variables, and classes are placed in its namespace.
  • This helps avoid conflicts if you have functions or variables with the same name in different modules.

Here's how these concepts interact:

  • Dynamic typing and namespaces work together naturally. Namespaces prevent variables and functions with the same name from clashing, even if their types are different.
  • Stubs can be used to provide type information for modules regardless of their dynamic typing nature. This allows static type checkers to understand the expected behavior of functions and variables within those modules.

Example:

Python
# my_math.py (without stubs)
def add(x, y):
  return x + y

# my_calculations.py (using my_math)
from my_math import add

result = add(5, "hello")  # This will cause a TypeError at runtime

With Stubs:

Python
# my_math.pyi (stub file)
from typing import Union

def add(x: int, y: int) -> int:
  ...

# my_calculations.py (using my_math)
from my_math import add

result = add(5, 3)  # This works fine
# result = add(5, "hello")  # mypy will raise an error during type check