Specify the kinds of objects to create using a prototypical instance, and create new objects by copying this prototype instead of depending on the new operator.
- When the object instantiation from the beginning takes a lot of time.
- When we want to specify an instance of the class to use it as a breeder of all future instances.
- To avoid building a class hierarchy (seperate classes or factories) that parallels the class hierarchy of the products.
- If we want to instantiate the same class with a minimal change of state, it's more appropriate to clone the instance and change its state to the required state.
- Prototype: defines the interface for cloning
- ConcretePrototype: implements the operation for cloning itself.
- Client: creates a new object by asking a prototype to clone itself.
- Registry: optional class that saves the frequently used prototypes, either before compilation, or even in runtime.
| Source Code | UML |
|---|---|
| Example 1 | // TODO |
| Example 2 | // TODO |
You can find the tests here.