Understanding Elixir Protocols and Polymorphism

The content explains the basics of polymorphism in Elixir, focusing on how protocols enable different behaviors depending on input types, akin to interfaces in object-oriented programming. The author introduces custom structs for Cat and Duck, demonstrating how to define a protocol for these types and handle behavior changes without inheritance. The post further discusses the utility of protocols in functional programming, comparing entities based on characteristics like microchips. Limitations of Elixir protocols, such as dispatching only on the first argument and the absence of optional functions, are also highlighted. The author also promotes their book, 'Advanced Functional Programming with Elixir', available in beta.