What are closures in Ruby?

What are closures in Ruby?

Closures in Ruby are blocks of code that can capture the surrounding context, allowing them to access variables from their scope.

Can you give me an example of a closure in Ruby?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

def make_counter
  count = 0
  -> { count += 1 }
end

counter = make_counter
puts counter.call  # Outputs: 1
puts counter.call  # Outputs: 2

How do closures differ from regular methods?

Closures can maintain state between calls, while regular methods do not retain the context of their previous executions.

Are closures commonly used in Ruby?

Yes, closures are widely used in Ruby, especially in functional programming patterns and for callbacks.