What is the difference between the Abstract Factory Pattern and the Factory Method?

What is the difference between the Abstract Factory Pattern and the Factory Method?

The Abstract Factory Pattern provides an interface for creating families of related or dependent objects without specifying their concrete classes. In contrast, the Factory Method Pattern defines an interface for creating an object but allows subclasses to alter the type of objects that will be created.

Can you give me an example of each pattern?

Sure! For the Abstract Factory Pattern, consider a UI toolkit that can create buttons and text fields for different operating systems. The factory creates a set of related components. For the Factory Method, think of a document editor that can create different types of documents (like Word or PDF) based on user input, where each document type is created by a specific factory method.

When should I use one over the other?

Use the Abstract Factory Pattern when you need to create families of related objects, and the Factory Method when you want to delegate the instantiation of a single product to subclasses.

Are there any drawbacks to using these patterns?

Yes, both patterns can introduce complexity and make the code harder to understand. They can also lead to a proliferation of classes, which may complicate maintenance.