# type (3-type.org)

When people say type, they usually mean to write on a keyboard or to sort something into a category. They might say what type of music they like, or ask someone to type a letter.

## What a model may hear
- static type annotation (programming languages like Python, TypeScript, or Java): expect a declared data type, enforce type checking, or generate type errors
- command to display file contents (Unix shell and command-line interfaces): output the contents of a file, as in type filename on Windows or some shell builtins
- font or glyph design (typography and graphic design): select or describe a typeface, font family, or character rendering
- type theory construct (mathematics, logic, and functional programming): treat the word as a formal object in proofs, category theory, or dependent types

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "Type this for me"
  Means: Write this text out
  May be taken as: Assume a shell command to display a file named this
  Say instead: "Please write out the following text"
- Says: "What type is this?"
  Means: What category does this belong to
  May be taken as: Ask for a data type declaration or run type inference
  Say instead: "What category or kind of thing is this"
- Says: "I need a different type"
  Means: A different style or sort
  May be taken as: Switch to a different typeface, font, or data type schema
  Say instead: "I need a different style or category"
- Says: "Type it in"
  Means: Enter it by keyboard
  May be taken as: Interpret as a command to display file contents or apply a type annotation
  Say instead: "Enter it using the keyboard"

## Tips
- Say write or enter instead of type when you mean keyboard input
- Say category or kind instead of type when you mean a sort of thing
- If you mean a font, say font or typeface explicitly
- Avoid type as a verb when a model might parse your request as code
- Clarify with examples: not what type but what kind, like animal or vegetable

## Often confused with
- kind: broader and less technical, rarely triggers type theory
- sort: more casual, almost never read as a programming term
- class: also a programming keyword, but more often social or taxonomic
- font: specific to visual text rendering, not data categories
- print: output to screen, not input or classification
- cat: Unix command to display files, not classification or input