Chapter 8. The Dynamic Language Runtime
This chapter covers
- The simplest dynamic classes: the ExpandoObject class, the DynamicObject class, and parsing the Open Data Protocol dynamically
- The DLR hosting model: runtimes, engines, and scopes
- Adding a rules engine to your application
Ask a group of Python or JavaScript programmers what they enjoy about their languages and they’ll probably mention the term dynamic. Then ask the group what the word means, and there will undoubtedly be a range of responses, mostly centered on the theme of flexibility. These lovers of dynamic languages typically value flexibility and rapid development over type-safety. These priorities lead to an even deeper question: should the classification and access of data be the responsibility of compilers or a privilege reserved for programmers? The answer depends entirely on the kind of problem you’re trying to solve.
If you need extremely high performance, dynamic typing may not be the smart choice. But if your program can decrease rigidity while increasing developer comprehension at the cost of a few more milliseconds here and there, dynamic typing can be helpful. Good software architects know how to balance these kinds of concerns. The desire for balance is why statically typed programming languages like C# offer dynamic typing as an option these days: static typing for safety and performance, and dynamic typing for when you need a bit of flexibility.