Prototype in C++

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Before and after

BEFORE - The architect has done an admirable job of decoupling the client from Stooge concrete derived classes, and, exercising polymorphism. But there remains coupling where instances are actually created.

class Stooge
{
public:
virtual void slap_stick() = 0;
};

class Larry: public Stooge
{
public:
void slap_stick()
{
cout << "Larry: poke eyes\n";
}
};
class Moe: public Stooge
{
public:
void slap_stick()
{
cout << "Moe: slap head\n";
}
};
class Curly: public Stooge
{
public:
void slap_stick()
{
cout << "Curly: suffer abuse\n";
}
};

int main(void)
{
vector roles;
int choice;

while (true)
{
cout << "Larry(1) Moe(2) Curly(3) Go(0): ";
cin >> choice;
if (choice == 0)
break;
else if (choice == 1)
roles.push_back(new Larry);
else if (choice == 2)
roles.push_back(new Moe);
else
roles.push_back(new Curly);
}
for (int i = 0; i < roles.size(); i++)
roles[i]->slap_stick();
for (int i = 0; i < roles.size(); i++)
delete roles[i];
}

Larry(1) Moe(2) Curly(3) Go(0): 2 Larry(1) Moe(2) Curly(3) Go(0): 1 Larry(1) Moe(2) Curly(3) Go(0): 3 Larry(1) Moe(2) Curly(3) Go(0): 0 Moe: slap head Larry: poke eyes Curly: suffer abuse


AFTER - A clone() method has been added to the Stooge hierarchy. Each derived class implements that method by returning an instance of itself. A Factory class has been introduced that main- tains a suite of "breeder" objects (aka proto- types), and knows how to delegate to the correct prototype.

class Stooge {
public:
virtual Stooge* clone() = 0;
virtual void slap_stick() = 0;
};

class Factory {
public:
static Stooge* make_stooge( int choice );
private:
static Stooge* s_prototypes[4];
};

int main( void ) {
vector roles;
int choice;

while (true) {
cout << "Larry(1) Moe(2) Curly(3) Go(0): ";
cin >> choice;
if (choice == 0)
break;
roles.push_back(
Factory::make_stooge( choice ) );
}

for (int i=0; i < roles.size(); ++i)
roles[i]->slap_stick();
for (int i=0; i < roles.size(); ++i)
delete roles[i];
}

class Larry : public Stooge {
public:
Stooge* clone() { return new Larry; }
void slap_stick() {
cout << "Larry: poke eyes\n"; }
};
class Moe : public Stooge {
public:
Stooge* clone() { return new Moe; }
void slap_stick() {
cout << "Moe: slap head\n"; }
};
class Curly : public Stooge {
public:
Stooge* clone() { return new Curly; }
void slap_stick() {
cout << "Curly: suffer abuse\n"; }
};

Stooge* Factory::s_prototypes[] = {
0, new Larry, new Moe, new Curly
};
Stooge* Factory::make_stooge( int choice ) {
return s_prototypes[choice]->clone();
}