Object Casting

Object casting is a programming concept that involves converting an object from one type to another, typically within object-oriented languages, to enable operations or assignments that require a specific type. It allows developers to treat an object as an instance of a different class or interface, often used in inheritance hierarchies or when working with polymorphic types. This process can be explicit (requiring a cast operator) or implicit (handled automatically by the language), depending on the language rules and type safety.

Also known as: Type Casting, Type Conversion, Downcasting, Upcasting, Object Type Conversion

Why learn Object Casting?

Developers should learn object casting to handle type conversions in object-oriented programming, such as when downcasting from a base class to a derived class to access specific methods, or when implementing interfaces that require type adjustments. It is essential in scenarios like working with collections of mixed types, using design patterns (e.g., Factory or Strategy), or integrating with APIs that return generic objects, ensuring code flexibility and type correctness.

Learning Resources

• docs: Java Tutorials: Type Casting
• docs: C# Casting and Type Conversions
• tutorial: Object Casting in Python - Real Python
• tutorial: Type Casting in C++ - GeeksforGeeks
• docs: Kotlin Type Checks and Casts