What is duck typing and how does it pertain to Ruby?

Duck typing is a programming concept associated with dynamic languages, including Ruby, where the type or class of an object is less important than the methods it defines or the operations it supports. The term "duck typing" comes from the phrase "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck." This means that an object is defined by what it can do, not by what it is[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14].

In the context of Ruby, which is a dynamically typed language, duck typing allows for more flexible and less tightly coupled code design. Ruby does not require type specification for objects. Instead, it focuses on whether objects respond to specific messages or methods[2][6][11]. For example, if a function expects an object that can perform a .quack() method, any object implementing this method will suffice, regardless of its class[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14].

This approach promotes polymorphism and code reusability, where different objects can be used interchangeably if they provide the required behavior. It also simplifies code modifications and extensions since changes are localized to the behaviors (methods) of objects rather than their types[2][6][11].

However, duck typing can also lead to runtime errors if the expected methods are not present, as these errors are not caught at compile time but only when the problematic code is executed[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][1...