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What does "type inference" mean in programming?

type inference is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

The ability of a compiler or interpreter to automatically deduce the type of a variable from its assigned value, without needing an explicit type annotation. TypeScript, Kotlin, Go, and Rust all support type inference.

Example

"const name = 'Alice'; // TypeScript infers name has type string"

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