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
structuralDecoratorView pattern
behavioralObserverView pattern
Basics
Categorystructuralstructuralbehavioral
SummaryConvert the interface of a class or module into another interface clients expect.Wrap an object with other objects that implement the same contract so responsibilities can be layered dynamically.—
IntentAllow incompatible interfaces to work together without changing the consuming code.Wrap an object with other objects that implement the same contract so responsibilities can be layered dynamically.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 system needs to add optional behaviors to an object without creating many subclasses for every feature combination.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.
  • Can introduce many small wrapper classes that are harder to trace in debugging.
  • Ordering of decorators matters, so composition needs to be deliberate.
  • Keeps responsibilities modular and easy to combine.
  • 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
  • services
  • Web
  • Backend
  • Event-driven systems
Integration notesAdapters are useful when exposing a stable boundary over a legacy API, vendor SDK, or payload format mismatch.Decorators work well for cross-cutting concerns such as logging, retry, caching, compression, and telemetry because each layer keeps the same interface while adding one concern.Observers work well inside a single application boundary for UI events, domain events, and in-process notifications where subscribers change dynamically.