Final answer:
A subtype discriminator is a feature used in a typology system to classify variations within a category. In computer science, it is often used in object-oriented programming languages to differentiate between different types of objects at runtime. It helps make code more flexible and reusable.
Step-by-step explanation:
A subtype discriminator is a feature used in a typology system to classify variations within a category. In the context of computer science, a subtype discriminator is often used in object-oriented programming languages to differentiate between different types of objects. It is typically a property or method that allows the program to determine the specific subtype of an object at runtime.
For example, let's say we have a base class called Animal and two subclasses called Dog and Cat. We can use a subtype discriminator like a type attribute or a getAnimalType() method in the Animal class, which can be overridden in the Dog and Cat classes to return their respective types. This allows us to identify the subtype of an Animal object without explicitly checking its class or type.
Using a subtype discriminator helps make code more flexible, extensible, and reusable. It allows us to write generic code that can handle multiple subtypes without having to explicitly know the exact subtype at compile-time.