What are the differences between sets and arrays in Ruby?

What are the differences between sets and arrays in Ruby?

In Ruby, arrays are ordered collections that can contain duplicate elements, while sets are unordered collections that only allow unique elements.

Can you give me an example of when to use a set instead of an array?

Sure! Use a set when you need to ensure all elements are unique, like tracking unique user IDs. An array would be better for maintaining order.

How do I convert an array to a set in Ruby?

You can convert an array to a set by using the Set.new method. For example: Set.new([1, 2, 2, 3]) will give you a set with elements 1, 2, and 3.

Are there any performance differences between using sets and arrays?

Yes, sets generally have faster lookup times for checking membership due to their underlying hash table implementation, while arrays require linear search.