Analysis

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Analysis

Pattern comparison

Reviewing 3 patterns.

Criteria
structuralAdapterView pattern
behavioralIteratorView pattern
behavioralVisitorView pattern
Basics
Categorystructuralbehavioralbehavioral
SummaryConvert the interface of a class or module into another interface clients expect.——
IntentAllow incompatible interfaces to work together without changing the consuming code.Provide a way to access elements of an aggregate sequentially while hiding the underlying representation.Separate an algorithm from the object structure it operates on by moving behavior into visitor objects.
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 collection needs to be traversed without exposing how it is stored internally.You need to perform operations across a set of different object types without stuffing all the logic into the objects themselves.
Tradeoffs
  • Adds an extra layer of indirection.
  • Can hide useful vendor-specific capabilities if overused.
  • Keeps integration code isolated from core domain logic.
  • Can add extra classes and abstraction for simple collections
  • May be unnecessary when built-in language iteration is already enough
  • Requires updating the visitor interface when new element types are added
  • Can be awkward if the object structure changes often
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
  • Web
  • Backend
  • Mobile
  • UI kits
  • Cross-platform systems
  • 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.Iterator is useful for pagination, custom collections, ordered traversal, and any case where clients should not know the internal data structure.Visitor is useful for AST processing, reporting, cart calculations, and exporting object structures to alternate formats.