Bridge Pattern
Summary
- The Bridge pattern allows for development of an interface and implementation of a component to proceed independently.
- The Bridge pattern decouples an abstraction from its implementation, enabling them to vary independently.
- The Bridge pattern is useful when a new version of software is brought out that will replace an existing version,
but the older version must still run for its existing client base.
- The Abstraction component is what is commonly called a Portal.
Class diagram: (see Bridge Pattern code review)
Usage
Use the Bridge pattern when you want to:
- Completely hide implementations from clients.
- Avoid binding an implementation to an abstraction directly.
- Change an implementation without even recompiling an abstraction.
- Combine different parts of a system at runtime.