Flyweight - Structural
Overview:
The Flyweight Pattern in C# is your code's weightlifting coach—smartly sharing and reducing the burden of lightweight, shared objects. Let's embark on this efficient coding workout:
Implementation in C#:
In C#, the Flyweight Pattern revolves around sharing common state between objects to minimize memory usage. Imagine a text editor scenario with character formatting:
// Flyweight interface
public interface ICharacterFormat
{
void ApplyFormat();
}
// Concrete Flyweight
public class CharacterFormat : ICharacterFormat
{
private readonly string font;
private readonly int size;
public CharacterFormat(string font, int size)
{
this.font = font;
this.size = size;
}
public void ApplyFormat()
{
Console.WriteLine($"Applying format: Font - {font}, Size - {size}");
}
}
// Flyweight Factory
public class CharacterFormatFactory
{
private readonly Dictionary<string, ICharacterFormat> formatCache = new Dictionary<string, ICharacterFormat>();
public ICharacterFormat GetFormat(string key)
{
if (!formatCache.TryGetValue(key, out var format))
{
// Create and cache if not found
var formatParts = key.Split('_');
format = new CharacterFormat(formatParts[0], int.Parse(formatParts[1]));
formatCache[key] = format;
}
return format;
}
}
Pros:
-
Memory Efficiency: Minimizes memory usage by sharing common state between objects.
-
Performance Boost: Reduces the number of objects, improving performance in scenarios with a large number of similar objects.
-
Simplified Code: Simplifies client code by externalizing shared state.
Cons:
-
Complexity: Introducing the Flyweight Pattern may increase initial code complexity.
-
Trade-off Decisions: Developers need to carefully decide what state to share and what to keep intrinsic.
When to Use and When Not:
-
Use: When a large number of similar objects with shared state need to be efficiently managed.
-
Avoid: In scenarios where objects have distinct, non-shareable state or when the number of objects is limited.
Usage in .NET Core Framework:
While the Flyweight Pattern isn't explicitly used in the .NET Core framework, its principles resonate in areas where memory efficiency is crucial. Collections and caching mechanisms in the framework showcase similar concepts, intelligently managing resources.
Real-Life Example:
Consider a word processing application where you have various character formats. Instead of creating a separate format object for each character, you can use the Flyweight Pattern to share common formats:
// Usage
var formatFactory = new CharacterFormatFactory();
var boldFormat = formatFactory.GetFormat("Arial_12");
var italicFormat = formatFactory.GetFormat("TimesNewRoman_14");
// Apply formats to characters
boldFormat.ApplyFormat();
italicFormat.ApplyFormat();
Here, the Flyweight Pattern is applied to character formats, sharing common formats like Arial_12 and TimesNewRoman_14 efficiently.
In conclusion, the Flyweight Pattern in C# is your code's weightlifting hero—intelligently sharing and lightening the load. While enhancing memory efficiency and performance, developers should carefully balance state sharing decisions. Although not explicitly found in the .NET Core framework, its principles are echoed in resource-efficient management, turning coding scenarios into a smart and efficient workout routine.
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