What is the Template Method Pattern and its real-world applications?

Can you explain the Template Method Pattern and give me some real-world examples?

The Template Method Pattern is a behavioral design pattern that defines the skeleton of an algorithm in a method, deferring some steps to subclasses. This allows subclasses to redefine certain steps of the algorithm without changing its structure. A real-world example is a data processing application where the main algorithm remains the same, but the specific data handling methods vary based on the data type.

What are some specific industries where this pattern is used?

This pattern is commonly used in industries like software development, where frameworks often provide base classes with template methods. It's also used in game development for defining game loops, and in web applications for rendering templates where the structure is consistent but the content varies.

Can you provide a code example of the Template Method Pattern?

Sure! Here's a simple example in Python:

class DataProcessor:
    def process(self):
        self.read_data()
        self.clean_data()
        self.analyze_data()

    def read_data(self):
        pass  # To be implemented by subclasses

    def clean_data(self):
        pass  # To be implemented by subclasses

    def analyze_data(self):
        pass  # To be implemented by subclasses

class CSVDataProcessor(DataProcessor):
    def read_data(self):
        print('Reading data from CSV')

    def clean_data(self):
        print('Cleaning CSV data')

    def analyze_data(self):
        print('Analyzing CSV data')

# Usage
processor = CSVDataProcessor()
processor.process()

This code defines a template for processing data, with specific implementations for CSV data.

What are the benefits of using the Template Method Pattern?

The benefits include code reusability, easier maintenance, and the ability to enforce a consistent algorithm structure while allowing flexibility in specific steps.