imutabile

Immutability is a concept in computer science and programming that refers to the inability to change the state of an object once it has been created. This concept is fundamental in various programming paradigms, particularly functional programming, where immutability is often encouraged or enforced.

In an immutable object, any modification to the object results in the creation of a new object, rather than altering the existing one. This immutability has several benefits. Firstly, it simplifies reasoning about the program's behavior, as the state of an object cannot be changed unexpectedly. Secondly, it enhances concurrency, as immutable objects can be safely shared across multiple threads without the risk of data races. Lastly, it facilitates caching and memoization, as the same object can be reused without concern for its state changing.

However, immutability also has its drawbacks. Creating new objects for every modification can be inefficient in terms of memory usage and performance. Additionally, some operations that are straightforward with mutable objects may require more complex workarounds with immutable objects.

Immutability is commonly implemented in programming languages through various means. In languages like Haskell and Clojure, all data structures are immutable by default. In other languages, such as Java and Scala, immutable objects can be created using final classes and fields, or by using specialized immutable collections provided by the language's standard library.

In summary, immutability is a powerful concept that offers several advantages, particularly in terms of safety and concurrency, but it also comes with trade-offs that need to be carefully considered. Its use is prevalent in functional programming but can also be beneficial in other paradigms.