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Is pattern matching a generalization of if/then/else, a reframing of it, or something else entirely?

I see it as a cross between a switch and if statement. You’re saying based on what `x` is (a switch), do these things that a switch can’t do (an if).

If-then-else is pattern matching on a value of type Bool. I think of general pattern matching on algebraic data types as a generalization.