Can you explain what monkey patching means in programming?

Monkey patching is the dynamic modification or extension of the behavior of modules, classes, or functions at runtime without changing the original source code.

In Python, it is often used for:

• Fixing bugs in third-party libraries without modifying their source code.
• Mocking functions or methods in tests.
• Adding additional logic to existing methods.

Example of monkey patching a function:

def original_function():
    print("Original function")

# Patching the function

def patched_function():
    print("Patched function")

original_function = patched_function

original_function()  # Will output: Patched function

It is important to use monkey patching carefully, as it can complicate understanding and maintaining the code.