Generics provide a powerful mechanism for writing code that is reusable and avoids duplication. They allow you to write functions that operate on multiple types of data without having to be rewritten for each type.
Key benefits include reduced code complexity, improved maintainability, and increased productivity.
Type Erasure: Generics allow you to write code that works with a variety of types without having to explicitly declare them. The compiler can then substitute generic types at runtime.
Templates: Generics are based on templates. A template is a code generator that takes a set of parameters and returns a result. Generics extend this concept by providing a common structure for all types.
Variance: Allows for different types of computations within a single generic function.
Here's a simple example:
def greet(name: str):
print(f"Hello, {name}!")
greet("Alice")
greet("Bob")