design #patterns #algorithm #programinglang #software-engineering
Creational Design Patterns
Creational Design Patterns are a category of design patterns that deal with object creation mechanisms. They provide various ways to instantiate objects in a manner suitable for the given situation. The purpose of creational patterns is to control how objects are created, which allows for greater flexibility and reuse of code while hiding the complex creation logic from the client.
There are five primary creational design patterns:
- Singleton Pattern
- Factory Method Pattern
- Abstract Factory Pattern
- Builder Pattern
- Prototype Pattern
1. Singleton Pattern
The Singleton pattern ensures that a class has only one instance and provides a global access point to it. This is useful when exactly one object is needed to coordinate actions across the system, such as a configuration manager or a logging service.
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Key Points:
- Controls the instantiation of the class and ensures that only one object is created.
- Provides a global point of access to the instance.
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Example:
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Use Cases: Configuration managers, logging utilities, connection pools.
2. Factory Method Pattern
The Factory Method pattern defines an interface for creating an object but lets subclasses decide which class to instantiate. It promotes loose coupling by eliminating the need to specify the exact class that will be instantiated.
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Key Points:
- Provides a method in a base class that can be overridden to create objects of derived classes.
- Allows the code to depend on an interface rather than a concrete class.
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Example:
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Use Cases: GUI libraries, data access layers, serializers.
3. Abstract Factory Pattern
The Abstract Factory pattern provides an interface for creating families of related or dependent objects without specifying their concrete classes. It is often used when the system needs to be independent of how its products are created, composed, or represented.
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Key Points:
- Encapsulates a group of individual factories with a common interface.
- Each factory produced by the abstract factory corresponds to a specific family of products.
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Example:
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Use Cases: GUI toolkits, database management systems that support multiple database vendors.
4. Builder Pattern
The Builder pattern separates the construction of a complex object from its representation. It allows constructing a complex object step-by-step and provides flexibility in the construction process.
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Key Points:
- Useful for creating objects with many optional parts or configurations.
- Helps to avoid a complex constructor or numerous parameters.
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Example:
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Use Cases: Building complex objects with many configurations, assembling hierarchical object structures.
5. Prototype Pattern
The Prototype pattern allows creating new objects by copying an existing object, known as a prototype. It avoids the cost of creating objects from scratch and is especially useful when the object creation process is resource-intensive.
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Key Points:
- Enables object cloning.
- Reduces the need to create complex objects repeatedly.
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Example:
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Use Cases: Object cloning, managing default configurations or initial states.
Summary
Creational patterns abstract the instantiation process, enabling flexibility and reuse of code. They help in managing complex object creation scenarios, promoting code modularity and separation of concerns. Each creational pattern addresses different scenarios of object creation and has its own benefits and use cases, making them an essential part of software design and architecture.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the comprehensive discussions on creational patterns available on platforms like Refactoring Guru and the Gang of Four book.