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Programming Concepts Intermediate

What is Closure?

A function that captures and retains access to variables from its enclosing scope, even after that scope has finished executing.

A closure "closes over" variables from its surrounding environment. In JavaScript: function outer() { let count = 0; return function() { return ++count; }; }. The inner function retains access to count even after outer() returns.

Closures enable data encapsulation (private variables), callbacks, event handlers, partial application, and memoization. They are fundamental to functional programming and used extensively in JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and Swift.

Related Terms

Data Structure
A way of organizing and storing data in a computer so it can be accessed and modified efficiently.
Observer Pattern
A design pattern where an object (subject) maintains a list of dependents (observers) that are notified automatically of state changes.
Unit Testing
Testing individual components or functions of a program in isolation to verify they work correctly.
Singleton Pattern
A design pattern that restricts a class to a single instance and provides a global point of access to that instance.
Technical Debt
The implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing a quick solution now instead of a better approach that would take longer.
Linked List
A linear data structure where elements are stored in nodes, each containing data and a pointer to the next node in the sequence.
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