What is the difference between lazy evaluation and eager evaluation?

What is the difference between lazy evaluation and eager evaluation?

Lazy evaluation is a strategy where expressions are not evaluated until their values are needed, while eager evaluation computes values immediately.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! In lazy evaluation, a function might return a promise of a value, only computing it when required. In eager evaluation, the function computes the value right away.

What are the advantages of using lazy evaluation?

Lazy evaluation can improve performance by avoiding unnecessary calculations and can handle infinite data structures more effectively.

Are there any downsides to lazy evaluation?

Yes, it can lead to increased memory usage and potential delays in computation, as values are computed only when needed.