What is the difference between metaprogramming and reflection?

What is the difference between metaprogramming and reflection?

Metaprogramming is the practice of writing programs that can manipulate other programs, while reflection is a specific type of metaprogramming that allows a program to inspect and modify its own structure and behavior at runtime.

Can you give me an example of metaprogramming?

Sure! In Ruby, you can use metaprogramming to define methods dynamically using define_method, allowing you to create methods on the fly.

What are some use cases for reflection?

Reflection is often used in frameworks for serialization, dependency injection, and for creating APIs that can adapt to different data types.

Are there any performance implications of using reflection?

Yes, reflection can introduce performance overhead because it involves inspecting types and members at runtime, which is generally slower than direct access.

Which programming languages support metaprogramming?

Languages like Ruby, Python, JavaScript, and Lisp are well-known for their metaprogramming capabilities, allowing developers to write more flexible and dynamic code.