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Builder Design Pattern

Video Lecture

Section Video Links
Builder Overview Builder Overview Builder Overview 
Builder Use Case Builder Use Case Builder Use Case 
Python List Python List Python List 

Overview

The Builder Pattern is a creational pattern whose intent is to separate the construction of a complex object from its representation so that you can use the same construction process to create different representations.

The Builder Pattern tries to solve,

  • How can a class create different representations of a complex object?
  • How can a class that includes creating a complex object be simplified?

The Builder and Factory patterns are very similar in the fact they both instantiate new objects at runtime. The difference is when the process of creating the object is more complex, so rather than the Factory returning a new instance of ObjectA, it calls the builders' director constructor method ObjectA.construct() that goes through a more complex construction process involving several steps. Both return an Object/Product.

Terminology

  • Product: The Product being built.
  • Builder Interface: The Interface that the Concrete builder should implement.
  • Builder: Provides methods to build and retrieve the concrete product. Implements the Builder Interface.
  • Director: Has a construct() method that when called creates a customized product using the methods of the Builder.

Builder UML Diagram

Builder Pattern Overview

Source Code

  1. Client creates the Director.
  2. The Client calls the Directors construct() method that manages each step of the build process.
  3. The Director returns the product to the client or alternatively could also provide a method for the client to retrieve it later.

./builder/builder_concept.py

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# pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
# pylint: disable=arguments-differ
"Builder Concept Sample Code"
from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod

class IBuilder(metaclass=ABCMeta):
    "The Builder Interface"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def build_part_a():
        "Build part a"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def build_part_b():
        "Build part b"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def build_part_c():
        "Build part c"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def get_result():
        "Return the final product"

class Builder(IBuilder):
    "The Concrete Builder."

    def __init__(self):
        self.product = Product()

    def build_part_a(self):
        self.product.parts.append('a')
        return self

    def build_part_b(self):
        self.product.parts.append('b')
        return self

    def build_part_c(self):
        self.product.parts.append('c')
        return self

    def get_result(self):
        return self.product

class Product():
    "The Product"

    def __init__(self):
        self.parts = []

class Director:
    "The Director, building a complex representation."

    @staticmethod
    def construct():
        "Constructs and returns the final product"
        return Builder()\
            .build_part_a()\
            .build_part_b()\
            .build_part_c()\
            .get_result()

# The Client
PRODUCT = Director.construct()
print(PRODUCT.parts)

Output

python ./builder/builder_concept.py
['a', 'b', 'c']

Example Use Case

Using the Builder Pattern in the context of a House Builder.

There are multiple directors that can create their own complex objects.

Note that in the IglooDirector class, not all the methods of the HouseBuilder were called.

The builder can construct complex objects in any order and include/exclude whichever parts it likes.

Example UML Diagram

Builder Pattern in Context

Source Code

./builder/client.py

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"House Builder Example Code"

from igloo_director import IglooDirector
from castle_director import CastleDirector
from houseboat_director import HouseBoatDirector

IGLOO = IglooDirector.construct()
CASTLE = CastleDirector.construct()
HOUSEBOAT = HouseBoatDirector.construct()

print(IGLOO.construction())
print(CASTLE.construction())
print(HOUSEBOAT.construction())

./builder/igloo_director.py

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"A Director Class"
from house_builder import HouseBuilder

class IglooDirector:  # pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
    "One of the Directors, that can build a complex representation."

    @staticmethod
    def construct():
        """Constructs and returns the final product
        Note that in this IglooDirector, it has omitted the set_number_of
        windows call since this Igloo will have no windows.
        """
        return HouseBuilder()\
            .set_building_type("Igloo")\
            .set_wall_material("Ice")\
            .set_number_doors(1)\
            .get_result()

./builder/castle_director.py

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"A Director Class"
from house_builder import HouseBuilder

class CastleDirector:  # pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
    "One of the Directors, that can build a complex representation."

    @staticmethod
    def construct():
        "Constructs and returns the final product"
        return HouseBuilder()\
            .set_building_type("Castle")\
            .set_wall_material("Sandstone")\
            .set_number_doors(100)\
            .set_number_windows(200)\
            .get_result()

./builder/houseboat_director.py

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"A Director Class"
from house_builder import HouseBuilder

class HouseBoatDirector:  # pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
    "One of the Directors, that can build a complex representation."

    @staticmethod
    def construct():
        "Constructs and returns the final product"
        return HouseBuilder()\
            .set_building_type("House Boat")\
            .set_wall_material("Wood")\
            .set_number_doors(6)\
            .set_number_windows(8)\
            .get_result()

./builder/interface_house_builder.py

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"The Builder Interface"
from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod

class IHouseBuilder(metaclass=ABCMeta):
    "The House Builder Interface"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def set_building_type(building_type):
        "Build type"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def set_wall_material(wall_material):
        "Build material"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def set_number_doors(number):
        "Number of doors"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def set_number_windows(number):
        "Number of windows"

    @staticmethod
    @abstractmethod
    def get_result():
        "Return the final product"

./builder/house_builder.py

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"The Builder Class"
from interface_house_builder import IHouseBuilder
from house import House

class HouseBuilder(IHouseBuilder):
    "The House Builder."

    def __init__(self):
        self.house = House()

    def set_building_type(self, building_type):
        self.house.building_type = building_type
        return self

    def set_wall_material(self, wall_material):
        self.house.wall_material = wall_material
        return self

    def set_number_doors(self, number):
        self.house.doors = number
        return self

    def set_number_windows(self, number):
        self.house.windows = number
        return self

    def get_result(self):
        return self.house

./builder/house.py

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"The Product"

class House():  # pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
    "The Product"

    def __init__(self, building_type="Apartment", doors=0,
                 windows=0, wall_material="Brick"):
        # brick, wood, straw, ice
        self.wall_material = wall_material
        # Apartment, Bungalow, Caravan, Hut, Castle, Duplex,
        # HouseBoat, Igloo
        self.building_type = building_type
        self.doors = doors
        self.windows = windows

    def construction(self):
        "Returns a string describing the construction"
        return f"This is a {self.wall_material} "\
            f"{self.building_type} with {self.doors} "\
            f"door(s) and {self.windows} window(s)."

Output

python ./builder/client.py
This is a Ice Igloo with 1 door(s) and 0 window(s).
This is a Sandstone Castle with 100 door(s) and 200 window(s).
This is a Wood House Boat with 6 door(s) and 8 window(s).

New Coding Concepts

Python List

In the file ./builder/builder_concept.py

53
54
    def __init__(self):
        self.parts = []

The [] is indicating a Python List.

The list can store multiple items, they can be changed, they can have items added and removed, can be re-ordered, can be pre-filled with items when instantiated and is also very flexible.

PS> python
>>> items = []
>>> items.append("shouldn't've")
>>> items.append("y'aint")
>>> items.extend(["whomst", "superfluity"])
>>> items
["shouldn't've", "y'aint", 'whomst', 'superfluity']
>>> items.reverse()
>>> items
['superfluity', 'whomst', "y'aint", "shouldn't've"]
>>> items.remove("y'aint")
>>> items
['superfluity', 'whomst', "shouldn't've"]
>>> items.insert(1, "phoque")
>>> items
['superfluity', 'phoque', 'whomst', "shouldn't've"]
>>> items.append("whomst")
>>> items.count("whomst")
2
>>> len(items)
5
>>> items[2] = "bagnose"
>>> items
['superfluity', 'phoque', 'bagnose', "shouldn't've", 'whomst']
>>> items[-2]
"shouldn't've"

Lists are used in almost every code example in this documentation. You will see all the many ways they can be used.

In fact, a list was used in the Abstract Factory example,

if furniture in ['SmallChair', 'MediumChair', 'BigChair']:
    ...

This line, creates a list at runtime including the strings 'SmallChair', 'MediumChair' and 'BigChair'. If the value in furniture equals the same string as one of those items in the list, then the condition is true and the code within the if statement block will execute.

Summary

  • The Builder pattern is a creational pattern that is used to create more complex objects than you'd expect from a factory.
  • The Builder pattern should be able to construct complex objects in any order and include/exclude whichever available components it likes.
  • For different combinations of products than can be returned from a Builder, use a specific Director to create the bespoke combination.
  • You can use an Abstract Factory to add an abstraction between the client and Director.