When should I use the Singleton pattern?

What is the Singleton pattern and when should I use it?

The Singleton pattern ensures a class has only one instance and provides a global point of access to it. You should use it when you need to control access to shared resources, like a configuration object or a connection pool.

Can you give me an example of where the Singleton pattern is useful?

Sure! A common example is a logging class that should only have one instance throughout the application to avoid conflicting log entries.

Are there any downsides to using the Singleton pattern?

Yes, it can introduce global state into your application, making it harder to test and maintain. It can also lead to issues with concurrency if not implemented carefully.

How can I implement a Singleton in Python?

You can implement a Singleton in Python using a class variable to store the instance and overriding the new method to control instance creation.