This concept contrasts two mechanisms for defining interfaces in object-oriented design: nominal typing via abstract base classes (ABCs), where a type relationship must be explicitly declared through inheritance, versus structural typing via protocols, where type compatibility is inferred solely from an object's methods and properties (duck typing). It belongs to the domain of software design and type systems within programming language theory, specifically interface definition and dependency management, and relates to the SOLID design principles through the concept of interface segregation, which holds that consumers should depend only on the minimal interface they actually use rather than on a larger, monolithic one.
This concept contrasts two mechanisms for defining interfaces in object-oriented design: nominal typing via abstract base classes (ABCs), where a type relationship must be explicitly declared through…