What are some use cases for immutable collections in programming?

What are some use cases for immutable collections in programming?

Immutable collections are useful in scenarios where data integrity is crucial, such as in functional programming, concurrent applications, and when implementing undo functionality.

Can you give me an example of how they are used in functional programming?

Sure! In functional programming, immutable collections help avoid side effects by ensuring that data cannot be changed after it's created, making functions easier to reason about.

What about performance? Are immutable collections slower?

They can be slower for certain operations since they require creating new instances instead of modifying existing ones. However, many implementations optimize this with structural sharing.

Are there any libraries you recommend for working with immutable collections?

Yes! Libraries like Immutable.js, Immer, and Scala's collections library are great for working with immutable data structures.