Decorator pattern

Not to be confused with the concept of "decorators" in Python.

In object-oriented programming, the decorator pattern is a design pattern that allows behavior to be added to an individual object, dynamically, without affecting the behavior of other instances of the same class.[1] The decorator pattern is often useful for adhering to the Single Responsibility Principle, as it allows functionality to be divided between classes with unique areas of concern[2] as well as to the Open-Closed Principle, by allowing the functionality of a class to be extended without being modified.[3] Decorator use can be more efficient than subclassing, because an object's behavior can be augmented without defining an entirely new object.

  1. ^ Gamma, Erich; et al. (1995). Design Patterns. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co, Inc. pp. 175ff. ISBN 0-201-63361-2.
  2. ^ "How to Implement a Decorator Pattern". Archived from the original on 2015-07-07.
  3. ^ "The Decorator Pattern, Why We Stopped Using It, and the Alternative". 8 March 2022.