What is the difference between Ruby Enumerables and Iterators?

What is the difference between Ruby Enumerables and Iterators?

Ruby Enumerables are modules that provide a set of methods for traversing, searching, and manipulating collections, while Iterators are methods that allow you to traverse a collection without exposing the underlying structure.

Can you give me an example of how to use an Enumerable?

Sure! Here's an example: you can use the map method from the Enumerable module to transform an array. For instance, [1, 2, 3].map { |n| n * 2 } will return [2, 4, 6].

What about Iterators? How do they work?

Iterators in Ruby, like each, allow you to loop through elements of a collection. For example, [1, 2, 3].each { |n| puts n } will print each number in the array.

When should I use Enumerables over Iterators?

Use Enumerables when you need to perform operations on collections, like filtering or transforming data. Use Iterators for simple traversal.