Lazy Sequences and Infinite Data Structures

Many Clojure functions return lazy sequences: they describe a computation, but do not perform all the work immediately. Work happens as you consume the sequence.

This is powerful:

• You can build streaming pipelines (transform as you go).
• You can represent infinite sequences safely when you take only what you need.

1(take 5 (range))  ;; => (0 1 2 3 4)

The gotchas to learn early

• If you keep a reference to the head of a lazy sequence, you can accidentally retain memory.
• Side effects inside lazy pipelines can be surprising because evaluation time is deferred.

Java mental model: laziness is closer to an iterator/stream that executes on demand, but it composes like plain functions.

In this section

• Lazy Sequences in Clojure: A Comprehensive Guide for Java Developers
  Explore the concept of lazy sequences in Clojure, understand their benefits, and learn how to leverage them for efficient data processing and handling infinite sequences.
• Creating Lazy Sequences in Clojure: A Guide for Java Developers
  Explore how to create lazy sequences in Clojure using functions like lazy-seq, repeat, range, and iterate. Learn the benefits of lazy evaluation and how it compares to Java's approach.
• Mastering Infinite Sequences in Clojure: A Guide for Java Developers
  Explore the power of infinite sequences in Clojure, learn how to safely work with them, and understand their advantages over traditional Java approaches.