What is the decorator pattern in software design?

What is the decorator pattern in software design?

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 a real-world example of the decorator pattern?

Sure! A common example is a coffee shop where you can add different condiments to your coffee, like milk, sugar, or whipped cream. Each condiment can be seen as a decorator that adds functionality to the base coffee object.

How does it differ from inheritance?

Inheritance creates a new class that extends the functionality of a base class, while the decorator pattern allows you to add functionality to existing objects at runtime without modifying their structure.

What are the benefits of using the decorator pattern?

The decorator pattern promotes code reusability and flexibility, allowing you to add or remove functionalities dynamically and adhere to the Single Responsibility Principle.