Template Method Design Pattern Explained

Streamline a Process with Customizability

Federico Calabrò
Level Up Coding

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Introduction

The Template Method design pattern is a behavioral pattern that defines the skeleton of an algorithm in a base class, allowing subclasses to override specific steps without changing the algorithm’s structure. This pattern is particularly useful when you want to define the overall structure of a process while letting subclasses customize certain steps. In this article, we’ll explore how the Template Method pattern can be applied to baking cakes, with different types of cakes (e.g., Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Cake) following a common baking process. We’ll see how this pattern promotes code reuse and flexibility by adhering to a consistent template.

UML Diagram for Template Method Design Pattern
Image by The Author

Implementation

  • Define the Abstract Class: Create an abstract class that outlines the template method, which defines the sequence of steps. In our case, Cake is the abstract class with a bakeCake() method that defines the steps to bake a cake.
abstract class Cake {
void prepareIngredients();
void bake();
void cool();
void decorate();

// Template method…

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