/ Design Patterns / Creational patterns / Prototype

Prototype Design Pattern in Java

Prototype design pattern

  1. Create a "contract" with clone() and getName() entries
  2. Design a "registry" that maintains a cache of prototypical objects
  3. Populate the registry with an initializePrototypes() function
  4. The registry has a findAndClone() "virtual constructor" that can transform a String into its correct object (it calls clone() which then calls "new")
  5. All classes relate themselves to the clone() contract
  6. Client uses the findAndClone() virtual ctor instead of the "new" operator
// 1. The clone() contract
interface Prototype {
    Prototype clone();
    String getName();
    void execute();
}

class PrototypeModule {
    // 2. "registry" of prototypical objs
    private static List<Prototype> prototypes = new ArrayList<>();

    // Adds a feature to the Prototype attribute of the PrototypesModule class
    // obj  The feature to be added to the Prototype attribute
    public static void addPrototype(Prototype p) {
        prototypes.add(p);
    }

    public static Prototype createPrototype(String name) {
	    // 4. The "virtual ctor"
        for (Prototype p : prototypes) {
            if (p.getName().equals(name)) {
                return p.clone();
            }
        }
        System.out.println(name + ": doesn't exist");
        return null;
    }
}

// 5. Sign-up for the clone() contract.
// Each class calls "new" on itself FOR the client.
class PrototypeAlpha implements Prototype {
    private String name = "AlphaVersion";

    @Override
    public Prototype clone() {
        return new PrototypeAlpha();
    }

    @Override
    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    @Override
    public void execute() {
        System.out.println(name + ": does something");
    }
}

class PrototypeBeta implements Prototype {
    private String name = "BetaVersion";

    @Override
    public Prototype clone() {
        return new PrototypeBeta();
    }

    @Override
    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    @Override
    public void execute() {
        System.out.println(name + ": does something");
    }
}

class ReleasePrototype implements Prototype {
    private String name = "ReleaseCandidate";
    @Override
    public Prototype clone() {
        return new ReleasePrototype();
    }

    @Override
    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    @Override
    public void execute() {
        System.out.println(name + ": does real work");
    }
}

public class PrototypeDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        if (args.length > 0) {
            initializePrototypes();
            List<Prototype> prototypes = new ArrayList<>();
			// 6. Client does not use "new"
            for (String protoName : args) {
                Prototype prototype = PrototypeModule.createPrototype(protoName);
                if (prototype != null) {
                    prototypes.add(prototype);
                }
            }
            for (Prototype p : prototypes) {
                p.execute();
            }
        } else {
            System.out.println("Run again with arguments of command string ");
        }
    }

    // 3. Populate the "registry"
    public static void initializePrototypes() {
        PrototypeModule.addPrototype(new PrototypeAlpha());
        PrototypeModule.addPrototype(new PrototypeBeta());
        PrototypeModule.addPrototype(new ReleasePrototype());
    }
}

Output

>java PrototypeDemo Garbage AlphaVersion BetaVersion Nothing ReleaseCandidate

Garbage: doesn't exist
Nothing: doesn't exist
AlphaVersion: does something
BetaVersion: does something
ReleaseCandidate: does real work

Code examples

Java Prototype in Java Prototype in Java
C++ Prototype in C++: Before and after Prototype in C++
PHP Prototype in PHP Prototype in PHP
Python Prototype in Python