Factory pattern

With design patterns, we formalize how classes are used together. This makes programs clearer and easier to develop—more organized.

In a factory, objects of a common derived type are returned. So we use a method, a factory method, to return classes that "extend" a common base class.

Example implementation

In this code, we create a hierarchy of classes: the Position abstract class is the base. And Manager, Clerk and Programmer extend that base class.

Info The Factor class contains a get() method. It uses a switch statement to return a class based on an id number.

And In the factory, derived types are returned. They are implicitly cast to the Position base class.

Here We invoke the Factory.get() method. Get() is static so we need no Factory instance.

abstract class Position {
    public abstract String getTitle();
}

class Manager extends Position {
    public String getTitle() {
        return "Manager";
    }
}

class Clerk extends Position {
    public String getTitle() {
        return "Clerk";
    }
}

class Programmer extends Position {
    public String getTitle() {
        return "Programmer";
    }
}

class Factory {
    public static Position get(int id) {
        // Return a Position object based on the id parameter.
        // ... All these classes "extend" Position.
        switch (id) {
        case 0:
            return new Manager();
        case 1:
        case 2:
            return new Clerk();
        case 3:
        default:
            return new Programmer();
        }
    }
}

public class Program {
    public static void main(String[] args) {

        for (int i = 0; i <= 3; i++) {
            // Use Factory to get a Position for each id.
            Position p = Factory.get(i);
            // Display the results.
            System.out.println("Where id = " + i + ", position = "
                    + p.getTitle());
        }
    }
}
Where id = 0, position = Manager
Where id = 1, position = Clerk
Where id = 2, position = Clerk
Where id = 3, position = Programmer

With a factory, we are creating an abstraction of the creation of classes. The inheritance mechanism, where derived types can be treated by their base class, is used.

Consider this

In massively complex programs, creating classes in many ways, throughout the code, may become complicated. With a factory, all this logic is in one place.

With organized, factory-based creation, class instantiation is easier to analyze and understand. It can be changed by editing just one method, not many code locations.