What is the difference between throw and return in Ruby?

What is the difference between throw and return in Ruby?

In Ruby, 'return' exits a method and returns a value, while 'throw' is used for non-local exits, often with 'catch'.

Can you give me an example of using throw and catch?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

catch(:done) do
  (1..5).each do |i|
    throw(:done, i) if i == 3
    puts i
  end
end

This will print 1 and 2, then exit when it throws :done.

When should I use throw instead of return?

Use 'throw' when you need to exit from multiple levels of method calls or loops, while 'return' is for standard method exits.

Are there any performance implications of using throw?

Yes, using 'throw' can be less efficient than 'return' due to the overhead of managing non-local exits, so use it judiciously.