stringly-typed

English

Alternative forms

• stringly typed

Etymology

From the string data type, punning on strongly-typed.

Adjective

stringly-typed (not comparable)

1. (programming, humorous) Characterized by an excessive use of strings to represent non-textual data.
   • 2019, Shaun Lewis, Mike Dunn, Native Mobile Development: A Cross-Reference for iOS and Android, O'Reilly Media, →ISBN, page 178:

     This is a “stringly typed” example that is easy to break if the key names are mistyped, or change between versions of your app.

   • 2021, Tim McNamara, Rust in Action, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 98:

     Enums can be a powerful aide in your quest to produce reliable, robust software. Consider them for your code when you discover yourself introducing “stringly-typed” data, such as message codes.

2. (programming) Relying on strings to encode or represent structured or semantic data that could otherwise use more specific available data structures and less risky types.

Derived terms

• stringly typing