What is functional programming in Ruby?

What is functional programming in Ruby?

Functional programming is a programming paradigm that treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions. In Ruby, it emphasizes the use of functions as first-class citizens, allowing you to pass them as arguments, return them from other functions, and assign them to variables.

Can you give me an example of a functional programming concept in Ruby?

Sure! One common concept is the use of higher-order functions. For example, you can use the map method to apply a function to each element in an array. Here's a simple example:

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4]
squared = numbers.map { |n| n ** 2 }
puts squared.inspect  # Output: [1, 4, 9, 16]

What are some benefits of using functional programming in Ruby?

Some benefits include improved code readability, easier debugging, and enhanced modularity. Functional programming can also lead to fewer side effects, making your code more predictable.

Are there any libraries in Ruby that support functional programming?

Yes, there are several libraries like dry-rb, which provides a suite of functional programming tools, and ramda, which offers a functional programming style for JavaScript but has Ruby equivalents.