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Observer Design Pattern in C++: Class inheritance vs type inheritance

SensorSystem is the "subject". Lighting, Gates, and Surveillance are the "views". The subject is only coupled to the "abstraction" of AlarmListener.

An object's class defines how the object is implemented. In contrast, an object's type only refers to its interface. Class inheritance defines an object's implementation in terms of another object's implementation. Type inheritance describes when an object can be used in place of another. 

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
using namespace std;

class AlarmListener
{
  public:
    virtual void alarm() = 0;
};

class SensorSystem
{
    vector < AlarmListener * > listeners;
  public:
    void attach(AlarmListener *al)
    {
        listeners.push_back(al);
    }
    void soundTheAlarm()
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < listeners.size(); i++)
          listeners[i]->alarm();
    }
};

class Lighting: public AlarmListener
{
  public:
     /*virtual*/void alarm()
    {
        cout << "lights up" << '\n';
    }
};

class Gates: public AlarmListener
{
  public:
     /*virtual*/void alarm()
    {
        cout << "gates close" << '\n';
    }
};

class CheckList
{
    virtual void localize()
    {
        cout << "   establish a perimeter" << '\n';
    }
    virtual void isolate()
    {
        cout << "   isolate the grid" << '\n';
    }
    virtual void identify()
    {
        cout << "   identify the source" << '\n';
    }
  public:
    void byTheNumbers()
    {
        // Template Method design pattern
        localize();
        isolate();
        identify();
    }
};
// class inheri.  // type inheritance
class Surveillance: public CheckList, public AlarmListener
{
     /*virtual*/void isolate()
    {
        cout << "   train the cameras" << '\n';
    }
  public:
     /*virtual*/void alarm()
    {
        cout << "Surveillance - by the numbers:" << '\n';
        byTheNumbers();
    }
};

int main()
{
  SensorSystem ss;
  ss.attach(&Gates());
  ss.attach(&Lighting());
  ss.attach(&Surveillance());
  ss.soundTheAlarm();
}

Output

gates close
lights up
Surveillance - by the numbers:
   establish a perimeter
   train the cameras
   identify the source

Code examples

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