What are mixins in Ruby?

What are mixins in Ruby?

Mixins in Ruby are a way to include shared behavior in classes. They allow you to add methods from one module to another class without using inheritance.

Can you give me an example of how to use a mixin?

Sure! First, you define a module with methods, then include that module in a class. For example:

module Swimmable
  def swim
    puts 'I can swim!'
  end
end

class Fish
  include Swimmable
end

nemo = Fish.new
nemo.swim  # Output: I can swim!`

What are the benefits of using mixins?

Mixins promote code reuse and help avoid the limitations of single inheritance. They allow you to compose classes with shared functionality.

Are there any downsides to using mixins?

Yes, overusing mixins can lead to complex dependencies and make the code harder to understand. It's important to use them judiciously.