What is the difference between decorators and wrappers in programming?

What is the difference between decorators and wrappers in programming?

Decorators are a design pattern in Python that allows you to modify the behavior of a function or class. Wrappers, on the other hand, are a more general concept that refers to any function or object that encapsulates another function or object to extend its behavior.

Can you give me an example of a decorator?

Sure! Here's a simple example of a decorator in Python:

def my_decorator(func):
    def wrapper():
        print("Something is happening before the function is called.")
        func()
        print("Something is happening after the function is called.")
    return wrapper

@my_decorator
def say_hello():
    print("Hello!")

say_hello()

How do wrappers differ from decorators in implementation?

While decorators are a specific type of wrapper that modifies functions or methods, wrappers can be used more broadly. A wrapper can be any function that takes another function as an argument and extends its behavior, but not all wrappers are decorators.

Are there performance implications when using decorators?

Yes, using decorators can introduce some overhead because they add an additional layer of function calls. However, the impact is usually minimal unless used extensively in performance-critical code.