How do decorator patterns work?

Can you explain what the decorator pattern is in programming?

Sure! 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.

How does it differ from inheritance?

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

Can you give me a coding example of the decorator pattern?

Absolutely! In Python, you can use decorators to modify the behavior of functions. For instance, a logging decorator can wrap a function to log its execution.

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 core functionality.