What are dependent types?

Dependent types are like labels that change based on what you put inside a box.

Imagine you have a box labeled "Fruit." If you put an apple in it, the label still says "Fruit," but if you put a toy car in it, that might be confusing. Now imagine the box has a special kind of label, one that changes depending on what's inside.

Think of your backpack at school. If you write "math book" on it, and only put math books inside, that’s helpful. But if you write "book", and sometimes put a science book or a storybook in there, the label is less useful.

Now imagine your backpack has a smart label. It says "book" when you put a book in it, but if you try to put a pencil inside, it changes to say "mixed stuff."

That's like how dependent types work: they help us know exactly what’s inside by changing based on the content, just like your smart backpack!