Flyweight¶
- Flyweight
- UML class diagram
- Participants
- Structural code in C# .{10}
- Real-world code in C# .{10}
- .NET Optimized code in C# .{10}
Summary: Use sharing to support large numbers of fine-grained objects efficiently.
Frequency of use: Low
UML class diagram¶
Participants¶
The classes and objects participating in this pattern are:
- Flyweight (
Character) - declares an interface through which flyweights can receive and act on extrinsic state.
- ConcreteFlyweight (
CharacterA, CharacterB, ..., CharacterZ) - implements the Flyweight interface and adds storage for intrinsic state, if any. A ConcreteFlyweight object must be sharable. Any state it stores must be intrinsic, that is, it must be independent of the ConcreteFlyweight object's context.
- UnsharedConcreteFlyweight ( not used )
- not all Flyweight subclasses need to be shared. The Flyweight interface enables sharing, but it doesn't enforce it. It is common for UnsharedConcreteFlyweight objects to have ConcreteFlyweight objects as children at some level in the flyweight object structure (as the Row and Column classes have).
- FlyweightFactory (
CharacterFactory) - creates and manages flyweight objects
- ensures that flyweight are shared properly. When a client requests a flyweight, the FlyweightFactory objects assets an existing instance or creates one, if none exists.
- Client (
FlyweightApp) - maintains a reference to flyweight(s).
- computes or stores the extrinsic state of flyweight(s).
Structural code in C# .{10}¶
This structural code demonstrates the Flyweight pattern in which a relatively small number of objects is shared many times by different clients.
using System;
using System.Collections;
namespace DoFactory.GangOfFour.Flyweight.Structural
{
/// <summary>
/// MainApp startup class for Structural
/// Flyweight Design Pattern.
/// </summary>
class MainApp
{
/// <summary>
/// Entry point into console application.
/// </summary>
static void Main()
{
// Arbitrary extrinsic state
int extrinsicstate = 22;
FlyweightFactory factory = new FlyweightFactory();
// Work with different flyweight instances
Flyweight fx = factory.GetFlyweight("X");
fx.Operation(--extrinsicstate);
Flyweight fy = factory.GetFlyweight("Y");
fy.Operation(--extrinsicstate);
Flyweight fz = factory.GetFlyweight("Z");
fz.Operation(--extrinsicstate);
UnsharedConcreteFlyweight fu = new
UnsharedConcreteFlyweight();
fu.Operation(--extrinsicstate);
// Wait for user
Console.ReadKey();
}
}
/// <summary>
/// The 'FlyweightFactory' class
/// </summary>
class FlyweightFactory
{
private Hashtable flyweights = new Hashtable();
// Constructor
public FlyweightFactory()
{
flyweights.Add("X", new ConcreteFlyweight());
flyweights.Add("Y", new ConcreteFlyweight());
flyweights.Add("Z", new ConcreteFlyweight());
}
public Flyweight GetFlyweight(string key)
{
return ((Flyweight)flyweights[key]);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// The 'Flyweight' abstract class
/// </summary>
abstract class Flyweight
{
public abstract void Operation(int extrinsicstate);
}
/// <summary>
/// The 'ConcreteFlyweight' class
/// </summary>
class ConcreteFlyweight : Flyweight
{
public override void Operation(int extrinsicstate)
{
Console.WriteLine("ConcreteFlyweight: " + extrinsicstate);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// The 'UnsharedConcreteFlyweight' class
/// </summary>
class UnsharedConcreteFlyweight : Flyweight
{
public override void Operation(int extrinsicstate)
{
Console.WriteLine("UnsharedConcreteFlyweight: " +
extrinsicstate);
}
}
}
Output¶
Real-world code in C# .{10}¶
This real-world code demonstrates the Flyweight pattern in which a relatively small number of Character objects is shared many times by a document that has potentially many characters.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
namespace DoFactory.GangOfFour.Flyweight.RealWorld
{
/// <summary>
/// MainApp startup class for Real-World
/// Flyweight Design Pattern.
/// </summary>
class MainApp
{
/// <summary>
/// Entry point into console application.
/// </summary>
static void Main()
{
// Build a document with text
string document = "AAZZBBZB";
char[] chars = document.ToCharArray();
CharacterFactory factory = new CharacterFactory();
// extrinsic state
int pointSize = 10;
// For each character use a flyweight object
foreach (char c in chars)
{
pointSize++;
Character character = factory.GetCharacter(c);
character.Display(pointSize);
}
// Wait for user
Console.ReadKey();
}
}
/// <summary>
/// The 'FlyweightFactory' class
/// </summary>
class CharacterFactory
{
private Dictionary<char, Character> _characters =
new Dictionary<char, Character>();
public Character GetCharacter(char key)
{
// Uses "lazy initialization"
Character character = null;
if (_characters.ContainsKey(key))
{
character = _characters[key];
}
else
{
switch (key)
{
case 'A': character = new CharacterA(); break;
case 'B': character = new CharacterB(); break;
//...
case 'Z': character = new CharacterZ(); break;
}
_characters.Add(key, character);
}
return character;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// The 'Flyweight' abstract class
/// </summary>
abstract class Character
{
protected char symbol;
protected int width;
protected int height;
protected int ascent;
protected int descent;
protected int pointSize;
public abstract void Display(int pointSize);
}
/// <summary>
/// A 'ConcreteFlyweight' class
/// </summary>
class CharacterA : Character
{
// Constructor
public CharacterA()
{
this.symbol = 'A';
this.height = 100;
this.width = 120;
this.ascent = 70;
this.descent = 0;
}
public override void Display(int pointSize)
{
this.pointSize = pointSize;
Console.WriteLine(this.symbol +
" (pointsize " + this.pointSize + ")");
}
}
/// <summary>
/// A 'ConcreteFlyweight' class
/// </summary>
class CharacterB : Character
{
// Constructor
public CharacterB()
{
this.symbol = 'B';
this.height = 100;
this.width = 140;
this.ascent = 72;
this.descent = 0;
}
public override void Display(int pointSize)
{
this.pointSize = pointSize;
Console.WriteLine(this.symbol +
" (pointsize " + this.pointSize + ")");
}
}
// ... C, D, E, etc.
/// <summary>
/// A 'ConcreteFlyweight' class
/// </summary>
class CharacterZ : Character
{
// Constructor
public CharacterZ()
{
this.symbol = 'Z';
this.height = 100;
this.width = 100;
this.ascent = 68;
this.descent = 0;
}
public override void Display(int pointSize)
{
this.pointSize = pointSize;
Console.WriteLine(this.symbol +
" (pointsize " + this.pointSize + ")");
}
}
}
Output¶
A (pointsize 11)
A (pointsize 12)
Z (pointsize 13)
Z (pointsize 14)
B (pointsize 15)
B (pointsize 16)
Z (pointsize 17)
B (pointsize 18)
.NET Optimized code in C# .{10}¶
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
namespace DoFactory.GangOfFour.Flyweight.NETOptimized
{
/// <summary>
/// MainApp startup class for .NET optimized
/// Flyweight Design Pattern.
/// </summary>
class MainApp
{
/// <summary>
/// Entry point into console application.
/// </summary>
static void Main()
{
// Build a document with text
string document = "AAZZBBZB";
char[] chars = document.ToCharArray();
var factory = new CharacterFactory();
// extrinsic state
int pointSize = 10;
// For each character use a flyweight object
foreach (char c in chars)
{
var character = factory[c];
character.Display(++pointSize);
}
// Wait for user
Console.ReadKey();
}
}
/// <summary>
/// The 'FlyweightFactory' class
/// </summary>
class CharacterFactory
{
private Dictionary<char, Character> _characters =
new Dictionary<char, Character>();
// Character indexer
public Character this[char key]
{
get
{
// Uses "lazy initialization" -- i.e. only create when needed.
Character character = null;
if (_characters.ContainsKey(key))
{
character = _characters[key];
}
else
{
// Instead of a case statement with 26 cases (characters).
// First, get qualified class name, then dynamically create instance
string name = this.GetType().Namespace + "." +
"Character" + key.ToString();
character = (Character)Activator.CreateInstance
(Type.GetType(name));
}
return character;
}
}
}
/// <summary>
/// The 'Flyweight' class
/// </summary>
class Character
{
protected char symbol;
protected int width;
protected int height;
protected int ascent;
protected int descent;
public void Display(int pointSize)
{
Console.WriteLine(this.symbol +
" (pointsize " + pointSize + ")");
}
}
/// <summary>
/// A 'ConcreteFlyweight' class
/// </summary>
class CharacterA : Character
{
// Constructor
public CharacterA()
{
this.symbol = 'A';
this.height = 100;
this.width = 120;
this.ascent = 70;
this.descent = 0;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// A 'ConcreteFlyweight' class
/// </summary>
class CharacterB : Character
{
// Constructor
public CharacterB()
{
this.symbol = 'B';
this.height = 100;
this.width = 140;
this.ascent = 72;
this.descent = 0;
}
}
// ... C, D, E, etc.
/// <summary>
/// A 'ConcreteFlyweight' class
/// </summary>
class CharacterZ : Character
{
// Constructor
public CharacterZ()
{
this.symbol = 'Z';
this.height = 100;
this.width = 100;
this.ascent = 68;
this.descent = 0;
}
}
}