Abstract Factory is a creational design pattern, which solves the problem of creating entire product families without specifying their concrete classes.
Abstract Factory defines an interface for creating all distinct products but leaves the actual product creation to concrete factory classes. Each factory type corresponds to a certain product variety.
The client code calls the creation methods of a factory object instead of creating products directly with a constructor call (new operator). Since a factory corresponds to a single product variant, all its products will be compatible.
Client code works with factories and products only through their abstract interfaces. This lets the client code work with any product variants, created by the factory object. You just create a new concrete factory class and pass it to the client code.
If you can’t figure out the difference between various factory patterns and concepts, then read our Factory Comparison.
Usage examples: The Abstract Factory pattern is pretty common in Swift code. Many frameworks and libraries use it to provide a way to extend and customize their standard components.
Identification: The pattern is easy to recognize by methods, which return a factory object. Then, the factory is used for creating specific sub-components.
This example illustrates the structure of the Abstract Factory design pattern. It focuses on answering these questions:
What classes does it consist of?
What roles do these classes play?
In what way the elements of the pattern are related?
After learning about the pattern’s structure it’ll be easier for you to grasp the following example, based on a real-world Swift use case.
Example.swift: Conceptual example
import XCTest
/// The Abstract Factory protocol declares a set of methods that return
/// different abstract products. These products are called a family and are
/// related by a high-level theme or concept. Products of one family are usually
/// able to collaborate among themselves. A family of products may have several
/// variants, but the products of one variant are incompatible with products of
/// another.
protocol AbstractFactory {
func createProductA() -> AbstractProductA
func createProductB() -> AbstractProductB
}
/// Concrete Factories produce a family of products that belong to a single
/// variant. The factory guarantees that resulting products are compatible. Note
/// that signatures of the Concrete Factory's methods return an abstract
/// product, while inside the method a concrete product is instantiated.
class ConcreteFactory1: AbstractFactory {
func createProductA() -> AbstractProductA {
return ConcreteProductA1()
}
func createProductB() -> AbstractProductB {
return ConcreteProductB1()
}
}
/// Each Concrete Factory has a corresponding product variant.
class ConcreteFactory2: AbstractFactory {
func createProductA() -> AbstractProductA {
return ConcreteProductA2()
}
func createProductB() -> AbstractProductB {
return ConcreteProductB2()
}
}
/// Each distinct product of a product family should have a base protocol. All
/// variants of the product must implement this protocol.
protocol AbstractProductA {
func usefulFunctionA() -> String
}
/// Concrete Products are created by corresponding Concrete Factories.
class ConcreteProductA1: AbstractProductA {
func usefulFunctionA() -> String {
return "The result of the product A1."
}
}
class ConcreteProductA2: AbstractProductA {
func usefulFunctionA() -> String {
return "The result of the product A2."
}
}
/// The base protocol of another product. All products can interact with each
/// other, but proper interaction is possible only between products of the same
/// concrete variant.
protocol AbstractProductB {
/// Product B is able to do its own thing...
func usefulFunctionB() -> String
/// ...but it also can collaborate with the ProductA.
///
/// The Abstract Factory makes sure that all products it creates are of the
/// same variant and thus, compatible.
func anotherUsefulFunctionB(collaborator: AbstractProductA) -> String
}
/// Concrete Products are created by corresponding Concrete Factories.
class ConcreteProductB1: AbstractProductB {
func usefulFunctionB() -> String {
return "The result of the product B1."
}
/// This variant, Product B1, is only able to work correctly with the
/// variant, Product A1. Nevertheless, it accepts any instance of
/// AbstractProductA as an argument.
func anotherUsefulFunctionB(collaborator: AbstractProductA) -> String {
let result = collaborator.usefulFunctionA()
return "The result of the B1 collaborating with the (\(result))"
}
}
class ConcreteProductB2: AbstractProductB {
func usefulFunctionB() -> String {
return "The result of the product B2."
}
/// This variant, Product B2, is only able to work correctly with the
/// variant, Product A2. Nevertheless, it accepts any instance of
/// AbstractProductA as an argument.
func anotherUsefulFunctionB(collaborator: AbstractProductA) -> String {
let result = collaborator.usefulFunctionA()
return "The result of the B2 collaborating with the (\(result))"
}
}
/// The client code works with factories and products only through abstract
/// types: AbstractFactory and AbstractProduct. This lets you pass any factory
/// or product subclass to the client code without breaking it.
class Client {
// ...
static func someClientCode(factory: AbstractFactory) {
let productA = factory.createProductA()
let productB = factory.createProductB()
print(productB.usefulFunctionB())
print(productB.anotherUsefulFunctionB(collaborator: productA))
}
// ...
}
/// Let's see how it all works together.
class AbstractFactoryConceptual: XCTestCase {
func testAbstractFactoryConceptual() {
/// The client code can work with any concrete factory class.
print("Client: Testing client code with the first factory type:")
Client.someClientCode(factory: ConcreteFactory1())
print("Client: Testing the same client code with the second factory type:")
Client.someClientCode(factory: ConcreteFactory2())
}
}
Output.txt: Execution result
Client: Testing client code with the first factory type:
The result of the product B1.
The result of the B1 collaborating with the (The result of the product A1.)
Client: Testing the same client code with the second factory type:
The result of the product B2.
The result of the B2 collaborating with the (The result of the product A2.)
Real World Example
Example.swift: Real world example
import Foundation
import UIKit
import XCTest
enum AuthType {
case login
case signUp
}
protocol AuthViewFactory {
static func authView(for type: AuthType) -> AuthView
static func authController(for type: AuthType) -> AuthViewController
}
class StudentAuthViewFactory: AuthViewFactory {
static func authView(for type: AuthType) -> AuthView {
print("Student View has been created")
switch type {
case .login: return StudentLoginView()
case .signUp: return StudentSignUpView()
}
}
static func authController(for type: AuthType) -> AuthViewController {
let controller = StudentAuthViewController(contentView: authView(for: type))
print("Student View Controller has been created")
return controller
}
}
class TeacherAuthViewFactory: AuthViewFactory {
static func authView(for type: AuthType) -> AuthView {
print("Teacher View has been created")
switch type {
case .login: return TeacherLoginView()
case .signUp: return TeacherSignUpView()
}
}
static func authController(for type: AuthType) -> AuthViewController {
let controller = TeacherAuthViewController(contentView: authView(for: type))
print("Teacher View Controller has been created")
return controller
}
}
protocol AuthView {
typealias AuthAction = (AuthType) -> ()
var contentView: UIView { get }
var authHandler: AuthAction? { get set }
var description: String { get }
}
class StudentSignUpView: UIView, AuthView {
private class StudentSignUpContentView: UIView {
/// This view contains a number of features available only during a
/// STUDENT authorization.
}
var contentView: UIView = StudentSignUpContentView()
/// The handler will be connected for actions of buttons of this view.
var authHandler: AuthView.AuthAction?
override var description: String {
return "Student-SignUp-View"
}
}
class StudentLoginView: UIView, AuthView {
private let emailField = UITextField()
private let passwordField = UITextField()
private let signUpButton = UIButton()
var contentView: UIView {
return self
}
/// The handler will be connected for actions of buttons of this view.
var authHandler: AuthView.AuthAction?
override var description: String {
return "Student-Login-View"
}
}
class TeacherSignUpView: UIView, AuthView {
class TeacherSignUpContentView: UIView {
/// This view contains a number of features available only during a
/// TEACHER authorization.
}
var contentView: UIView = TeacherSignUpContentView()
/// The handler will be connected for actions of buttons of this view.
var authHandler: AuthView.AuthAction?
override var description: String {
return "Teacher-SignUp-View"
}
}
class TeacherLoginView: UIView, AuthView {
private let emailField = UITextField()
private let passwordField = UITextField()
private let loginButton = UIButton()
private let forgotPasswordButton = UIButton()
var contentView: UIView {
return self
}
/// The handler will be connected for actions of buttons of this view.
var authHandler: AuthView.AuthAction?
override var description: String {
return "Teacher-Login-View"
}
}
class AuthViewController: UIViewController {
fileprivate var contentView: AuthView
init(contentView: AuthView) {
self.contentView = contentView
super.init(nibName: nil, bundle: nil)
}
required convenience init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
return nil
}
}
class StudentAuthViewController: AuthViewController {
/// Student-oriented features
}
class TeacherAuthViewController: AuthViewController {
/// Teacher-oriented features
}
private class ClientCode {
private var currentController: AuthViewController?
private lazy var navigationController: UINavigationController = {
guard let vc = currentController else { return UINavigationController() }
return UINavigationController(rootViewController: vc)
}()
private let factoryType: AuthViewFactory.Type
init(factoryType: AuthViewFactory.Type) {
self.factoryType = factoryType
}
/// MARK: - Presentation
func presentLogin() {
let controller = factoryType.authController(for: .login)
navigationController.pushViewController(controller, animated: true)
}
func presentSignUp() {
let controller = factoryType.authController(for: .signUp)
navigationController.pushViewController(controller, animated: true)
}
/// Other methods...
}
class AbstractFactoryRealWorld: XCTestCase {
func testFactoryMethodRealWorld() {
#if teacherMode
let clientCode = ClientCode(factoryType: TeacherAuthViewFactory.self)
#else
let clientCode = ClientCode(factoryType: StudentAuthViewFactory.self)
#endif
/// Present LogIn flow
clientCode.presentLogin()
print("Login screen has been presented")
/// Present SignUp flow
clientCode.presentSignUp()
print("Sign up screen has been presented")
}
}
Output.txt: Execution result
Teacher View has been created
Teacher View Controller has been created
Login screen has been presented
Teacher View has been created
Teacher View Controller has been created
Sign up screen has been presented
WINTER SALE IS ON!
