Type Annotations

Type annotations let developers specify the expected data types of variables, function parameters, and return values in Python. The interpreter does not enforce these hints at runtime, but tools like mypy and pyright use them to catch type errors before execution. A function can declare def add(a: int, b: int) -> int: to signal that it expects integers and returns one. Type annotations make code easier to read and help catch bugs early, especially in larger codebases.