Type Safety

Frost implements a strong, static type system that provides robust safety guarantees at compile-time. This system is designed to catch type-related errors early in the development process, reducing the likelihood of runtime errors and enhancing overall program reliability.

Key Features of Frost's Type System

1. Static Typing: All variables and expressions have their types checked at compile-time.

2. Strong Typing: Frost enforces strict type rules, preventing implicit conversions between incompatible types.

3. Type Inference: While explicit type annotations are supported, Frost can often infer types automatically, reducing verbosity without sacrificing safety.

4. Comprehensive Operator Implementation: Frost has implemented all operators for all built-in types, ensuring type-safe operations across the language.

Safety Mechanisms

1. Compile-Time Checks: The compiler performs extensive type checking during compilation, catching type mismatches and invalid operations before runtime.

2. No Implicit Type Coercion: Unlike some languages, Frost does not perform implicit type coercion, reducing unexpected behavior and potential bugs.

LLVM Integration

Frost leverages LLVM as its backend, which provides an additional layer of safety:

1. Optimization Passes: LLVM's optimization passes can identify and eliminate certain classes of undefined behavior.

2. Memory Safety: LLVM includes features like Address Sanitizer and Memory Sanitizer, which can be enabled to catch memory-related errors.

3. Undefined Behavior Detection: LLVM can insert runtime checks for undefined behavior when compiling in debug mode.

Example of Type Safety in Action

main: never -> int = {
    x: int = 5
    y: float = 3,14f
    
    % Correct way to add an int and a float
    z: float = @float(x) + y
    
    printf("Result: %f\n" z)
    0
}

In this example, Frost prevents the addition of an integer and a float without explicitly converting the integer to a float. This explicit conversion ensures that the operation is well-defined and type-safe.

For a comprehensive guide on Frost's type system, including detailed information on all available types and their behaviors, please refer to the Type System section in the User Manual.

By combining strong static typing, comprehensive operator implementations, and LLVM's additional safety features, Frost provides a robust foundation for writing safe and reliable code.