What is the Composite Pattern in Java?

Can you explain the Composite Pattern in Java?

Sure! The Composite Pattern is a structural design pattern that lets you compose objects into tree structures to represent part-whole hierarchies. It allows clients to treat individual objects and compositions of objects uniformly.

What are the main components of the Composite Pattern?

The main components are the Component interface, Leaf class, and Composite class. The Component interface defines the common interface for all objects, Leaf represents the individual objects, and Composite contains groups of Leaf objects.

Can you give me a code example of the Composite Pattern?

Certainly! Here's a simple example:

interface Component {
    void operation();
}

class Leaf implements Component {
    public void operation() {
        System.out.println("Leaf operation");
    }
}

class Composite implements Component {
    private List<Component> children = new ArrayList<>();

    public void add(Component component) {
        children.add(component);
    }

    public void operation() {
        for (Component child : children) {
            child.operation();
        }
    }
}

This code defines a simple tree structure where Leaf and Composite can be treated uniformly.

What are the benefits of using the Composite Pattern?

The benefits include simplifying client code, allowing clients to treat individual objects and compositions uniformly, and making it easier to add new types of components.