Object-Oriented Programming

Design Pattern Composite

Michael L. Collard, Ph.D.

Department of Computer Science, The University of Akron

Directory

Attempt #1: Design

Attempt #1: Usage

Attempt #1: UML

Directory

Attempt #2: Design

Attempt #2: Usage

Attempt #2: UML

Problems

  • Have to store files and directories separately and keep them ordered separately
  • Client code has to treat files and directories objects differently
  • Complex code for the client to handle recursive structure

Composite

Compose objects into tree structures to represent part-whole hierarchies

Composite lets clients treat individual objects and compositions of objects uniformly

Composite: Motivation

motivation

Object Tree

objecttree

Composite: Applicability

  • Use the Composite pattern when you:
  • Want to represent part-whole hierarchies of objects
  • Want clients to be able to ignore the difference between compositions of objects and individual objects, as clients treat all objects in the composite structure uniformly

Composite: Structure

structure

Composite: Participants

  • Component (e.g., Graphic)
  • Declares the interface for objects in the composition
  • Implements the default behavior for the interface common to all classes as appropriate
  • Declares an interface for accessing and managing its child components
  • Optionally defines an interface for accessing a component’s parent
  • Client
  • Manipulates objects in the composition through the Component interface

Composite: Object Participants

  • Leaf (e.g., Rectangle, Line, Text, etc.)
  • Represents leaf object (leaves have no children) in the composition
  • Defines behavior for primitive objects in the composition
  • Composite (e.g., Picture)
  • Defines behavior for components having children
  • Stores child components
  • Implements child-related operations in the Component interface

Composite: Collaborations

  • Clients use the Component class interface to interact with objects in the composite structure:
  • If the recipient is a Leaf, then the request is handled directly
  • If the recipient is a Composite, it usually forwards requests to its child components, possibly performing additional operations before and after forwarding.

Composite: Consequences

  • A class hierarchy of primitive and composite objects which permits recursive structures
  • Clients are simple as they handle primitive and composite objects in the same way
  • Can add new kinds of components, both Composite or Leaf, that work automatically with existing client code
  • However, being able to add any Component type can make the design overly general

Composite #1: Design

Composite #1: Usage

Composite UML

Composite #2: Design

Composite #2: Usage

Implementation Issues

  • Storing parent references
  • Sharing components
  • Size and contents of Composite interface, e.g., traversing children
  • Child management
  • Should Component implement a list of Components?
  • Child ordering
  • Caching to improve performance
  • Who should delete components?
  • What's the best data structure for storing components?

Related Patterns

  • Composite
  • Used to implement MacroComposites
  • Memento
  • Stores the state the Composite requires for an undo
  • Prototype
  • Composite objects are used in Prototypes