search

What is the difference between Go's type-level polymorphism and value-level polymorphism for creating and using polymorphic functions and values in Go programs?

In Go, type-level polymorphism and value-level polymorphism refer to two different concepts.

Type-level polymorphism refers to the ability to define types that are generic over one or more type parameters, such as in Go's interface type. This allows for the creation of functions and data structures that can operate on values of any type that satisfies a certain set of requirements. The type-level polymorphism is resolved at compile time, where the type of the value being used is determined.

On the other hand, value-level polymorphism refers to the ability to define functions that can operate on values of different types, without knowing the specific types at compile time. This is achieved through the use of interfaces in Go, where a function can accept any value that implements a specific interface, without needing to know the concrete type of the value. The value-level polymorphism is resolved at runtime, where the specific type of the value being used is determined.

In summary, type-level polymorphism deals with generic types and is resolved at compile time, while value-level polymorphism deals with generic functions and is resolved at runtime.

Related Questions You Might Be Interested