Professional C++, 6th Edition

33Applying Design Patterns

WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER?

• What a pattern is and what the difference is with a design technique
• How to use the following patterns:
  • Strategy
  • Abstract factory
  • Factory method
  • Adapter
  • Proxy
  • Iterator
  • Observer
  • Decorator
  • Chain of responsibility
  • Singleton

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A design pattern is a standard approach to program organization that solves a general problem. Design patterns are less language-specific than are techniques. The difference between a pattern and a technique is admittedly fuzzy, and different books employ different definitions. This book defines a technique as a strategy particular to the C++ language, while a pattern is a more general strategy for object-oriented design applicable to any object-oriented language, such as C++, C#, Java, or Smalltalk. In fact, if you are familiar with C# or Java programming, you will recognize many of these patterns.

Design patterns have names, and that's a big advantage. The name carries meaning and therefore helps to more easily communicate about solutions. The names of patterns also help developers to more quickly understand a solution. However, certain patterns have several different names, and the distinctions between certain patterns is sometimes a bit vague with different sources ...