Non-Strict Evaluation
Non-strict evaluation is a programming language evaluation strategy where expressions are not evaluated until their values are actually needed. This contrasts with strict evaluation, where arguments are evaluated before a function is called. It enables features like lazy evaluation, infinite data structures, and can improve performance by avoiding unnecessary computations.
Developers should learn non-strict evaluation when working with functional programming languages like Haskell or when optimizing performance in scenarios involving potentially expensive computations or infinite sequences. It is particularly useful for implementing efficient algorithms that process large or infinite data streams, such as in data pipelines or reactive programming systems, by deferring evaluation until results are required.