What are the best practices for using Procs and Lambdas in Ruby?

What are the best practices for using Procs and Lambdas in Ruby?

When using Procs and Lambdas in Ruby, it's important to understand their differences. Lambdas check the number of arguments, while Procs do not. Always prefer Lambdas for stricter argument checking.

Can you give me an example of when to use a Proc over a Lambda?

Sure! Use a Proc when you want to create a reusable block of code that can be called with varying arguments. For instance, if you want to define a method that can accept different numbers of parameters, a Proc would be suitable.

What about performance? Are there any differences?

Yes, Lambdas are generally slightly slower than Procs due to their stricter argument checking. However, the performance difference is usually negligible unless you're calling them in a tight loop.

Are there any common pitfalls to avoid?

Definitely! One common pitfall is confusing the two. Remember that Lambdas will raise an error if the wrong number of arguments is passed, while Procs will just ignore extra arguments. This can lead to unexpected behavior.