Analysis

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Analysis

Pattern comparison

Reviewing 3 patterns.

Criteria
structuralAdapterView pattern
structuralDecoratorView pattern
structuralProxyView pattern
Basics
Categorystructuralstructuralstructural
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.Provide a surrogate or placeholder for another object to control access to it.
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 client needs to interact with an object indirectly because the real object may be expensive, sensitive, or remote.
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.
  • Adds another layer of indirection
  • Can make the design more complex when the extra control is unnecessary
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
  • Mobile
  • UI kits
  • Cross-platform 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.Proxy is useful for lazy loading, access control, caching, logging, and remote service wrappers.