[Ruby Notes] Proc

What is Proc

• Proc object are blocks of that have been bound to a set of local variables. Once bound, the code may be called in different contexts and still access those variables.
• Everything in Ruby is an object, but Ruby blocks are not objects. Blocks are not objects, but you can turn them into objects without too much trouble, just wrapping block in an instance of the Proc class, since it turns block into a first class function , which in turn allows Ruby to support closures and once a language has closures, you can do all sorts of interesting things like making use of various functional concepts.

There is five way to create a Proc object

• Using Proc.new . This is the standard way to create any object, you simple need to pass in a block and you will get back a Proc object which will run the code in the block when you invoke its call method.

  proc_object = Proc.new {puts "I am a proc object"}
  proc_object.call
  # output
  I am a proc object
  

• Using the proc method in the Kernel module.

  proc_object = proc {puts "Hello from inside the proc"}
  proc_object.call
  # output
  Hello from inside the proc
  

• Using the Kernel lambda method.

  proc_object = lambda {puts "Hello form inside the proc"}
  proc_object.call
  # output
  Hello from inside the proc
  

• The implicit way.

  def my_method
    puts "hello method"
    yield
  end
  my_method {puts "hello block"}
  my_method
  # output
  hello method
  hello block
  hello method
  [error] in`my_method`: no block given (yield) (LocalJumpError)...
  

  def my_method(&my_block)
    puts "hello method"
    my_block.call
    my_block
  end
  block_var = my_method {puts "hello block"}
  block_var.call
  # output
  hello method
  hello block
  hello block
  

Difference between proc and lambda

• It is important to mention that proc and lambda are both Proc objects.

    proc = proc {puts "hello world"}
    lam = lambda {puts "hello world"}
    proc.class # returns 'Proc' 
    lam.class  # returns 'Proc'
  

• However, lambdas are a different ‘flavor’ or proc.

• Below are the key differences.

  1. lambdas check the number of arguments, while proc do not

  2. lambdas and proc treat the return keyword differently

  • return inside of a lambda triggers the code right outside of the lambda code
  • return inside of a proc triggers the code outside of the method where the proc is being executed