Analysis

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Evaluate design patterns side by side across intent, tradeoffs, languages, and integration fit.

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Abstract FactoryAdapterBridgeBuilderChain of ResponsibilityCommandCompositeDecoratorFacadeFactory MethodFlyweightInterpreterIteratorMediatorMementoObserverPrototypeProxySingletonStateStrategyTemplate MethodVisitor

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Analysis

Pattern comparison

Reviewing 3 patterns.

Criteria
structuralAdapterView pattern
behavioralChain of ResponsibilityView pattern
behavioralObserverView pattern
Basics
Categorystructuralbehavioralbehavioral
SummaryConvert the interface of a class or module into another interface clients expect.Pass a request through a sequence of handlers until one handles it or the chain ends.—
IntentAllow incompatible interfaces to work together without changing the consuming code.Pass requests along a chain of handlers until one of them handles the request or the request reaches the end of the chain.Define a subscription mechanism so multiple observers can react to subject events without the subject knowing concrete subscriber details.
Decision factors
ProblemA client needs to talk to a legacy class or external service whose interface does not match the rest of the codebase.A request must pass through multiple possible handlers, but the sender should not need to know which handler will process it.A system needs to notify multiple dependent objects when state changes occur, but hardcoding those dependencies makes the design rigid and tightly coupled.
Tradeoffs
  • Adds an extra layer of indirection.
  • Can hide useful vendor-specific capabilities if overused.
  • Keeps integration code isolated from core domain logic.
  • Requests can become harder to trace because control flows through multiple handlers.
  • A long chain may add overhead if many handlers are checked on every request.
  • It keeps handler logic isolated and easier to extend.
  • Notification flows can become hard to trace when many observers react to the same event
  • Observers may receive updates they do not need unless subscriptions are carefully designed
Practical fit
Languages
  • typescript
  • java
  • python
  • go
  • csharp
  • dotnet
  • react
  • angular
  • react-native
  • typescript
  • java
  • python
  • angular
  • react
  • react-native
  • csharp
  • dotnet
  • typescript
  • java
  • python
  • angular
  • react
  • react-native
  • csharp
  • dotnet
Platforms
  • applications
  • apis
  • service layers
  • integrations
  • frontend
  • backend
  • integration
  • Web
  • Backend
  • Event-driven systems
Integration notesAdapters are useful when exposing a stable boundary over a legacy API, vendor SDK, or payload format mismatch.Chain of Responsibility is useful for validation pipelines, support routing, approval flows, and any system where requests may be processed by different handlers in sequence.Observers work well inside a single application boundary for UI events, domain events, and in-process notifications where subscribers change dynamically.