What is the decorator pattern in Java?

What is the decorator pattern in Java?

The decorator pattern is a structural design pattern that allows behavior to be added to individual objects, either statically or dynamically, without affecting the behavior of other objects from the same class.

Can you give me an example of how to implement it?

Sure! Let's say you have a Coffee class. You can create a MilkDecorator class that extends Coffee to add milk functionality.

How does it differ from inheritance?

Unlike inheritance, which creates a new class, the decorator pattern allows you to add responsibilities to objects at runtime, providing more flexibility.

What are some real-world applications of the decorator pattern?

It's commonly used in GUI frameworks, where you can add features like borders or scrollbars to windows without modifying their classes.