Creating and Evolving Elixir (with José Valim)
Developer Voices
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Handling Polymorphism and Extensible Polymorphism in Elixir
Exploring how Elixir approaches polymorphism through pattern matching on predefined data types, the chapter delves into the challenges of handling different types within a system and the need for extensible polymorphism. It discusses how Elixir implements protocols for flexible data contracts and extensible polymorphism, drawing parallels to trade features in Rust and emphasizing software design over language restrictions. The chapter also examines the concept of multi-methods in Elixir inspired by Clojure, highlighting the complexities and trade-offs involved in creating a more general mechanism for dispatching rules.
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