Analysis

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

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Analysis

Pattern comparison

Reviewing 3 patterns.

Criteria
behavioralIteratorView pattern
creationalPrototypeView pattern
behavioralStrategyView pattern
Basics
Categorybehavioralcreationalbehavioral
Summary———
IntentProvide a way to access elements of an aggregate sequentially while hiding the underlying representation.Specify the kinds of objects to create using a prototypical instance, and create new objects by cloning that prototype.Encapsulate a family of algorithms or behaviors behind a common contract so they can be selected and swapped cleanly.
Decision factors
ProblemA collection needs to be traversed without exposing how it is stored internally.Creating new objects from scratch can be expensive or repetitive when the system needs many similar variants.A system needs to switch between interchangeable behaviors without hardcoding branching logic everywhere.
Tradeoffs
  • Can add extra classes and abstraction for simple collections
  • May be unnecessary when built-in language iteration is already enough
  • Can be difficult if the object graph contains deep references that need custom clone behavior
  • May require careful handling of mutable state to avoid shared-reference bugs
  • Adds more moving parts than a direct conditional approach
  • Works best when behavior variations are real and likely to grow
Practical fit
Languages
  • typescript
  • java
  • python
  • angular
  • react
  • react-native
  • csharp
  • dotnet
  • typescript
  • java
  • python
  • angular
  • react
  • react-native
  • csharp
  • dotnet
  • typescript
  • java
  • python
  • angular
  • react
  • react-native
  • csharp
  • dotnet
Platforms
  • Web
  • Backend
  • Mobile
  • UI kits
  • Cross-platform systems
  • Web
  • Backend
  • Mobile
  • UI kits
  • Cross-platform systems
  • Web
  • Backend
  • Services
Integration notesIterator is useful for pagination, custom collections, ordered traversal, and any case where clients should not know the internal data structure.Prototype is useful when object creation is expensive, when many near-identical objects are needed, or when cloning preconfigured templates is simpler than rebuilding them.Strategies can cross codebases through shared contracts, API selection rules, or runtime configuration.