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I imagine it would be a relatively simply matter of getting used to it.

Objective C and C# both have extension methods, which are very useful when done right. Ruby has allowed you to reopen classes since forever.

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The point is to not have to reopen classes.

But is there an essential difference between these methods?

Extension methods can only use the public API of objects. Opening a class and adding methods allows one to access the private API, too. That, of course, is only a difference in languages that have the public/private distinction.

But it doesn't make reopening classes bad. You have a choice: you can use a public API or mess with implementation (for example for performance reasons).

The essential difference is that extension methods are visible only in compilation units that explicitly import them, while adding a new method to an existing class makes it visible everywhere.

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