Design patterns Factory Abstract factory (C++)

Example

Abstract factory pattern provides a way to obtain an coherent collection of objects through a collection of factories functions. As for every pattern, coupling is reduced by abstracting the way a set of objects are created, so that the user code is unaware of the many details of the objects he needs.

The following C++ example illustrates how to obtain different kind of objects of the same (hypothetical) GUI family:

#include <iostream>

/* Abstract definitions */
class GUIComponent {
public:
  virtual ~GUIComponent() = default;
  virtual void draw() const = 0;
};
class Frame  : public GUIComponent {};
class Button : public GUIComponent {};
class Label  : public GUIComponent {};

class GUIFactory {
public:
  virtual ~GUIFactory() = default;
  virtual std::unique_ptr<Frame> createFrame() = 0;
  virtual std::unique_ptr<Button> createButton() = 0;
  virtual std::unique_ptr<Label> createLabel() = 0;
  static std::unique_ptr<GUIFactory> create(const std::string& type);
};

/* Windows support */
class WindowsFactory : public GUIFactory {
private:
    class WindowsFrame : public Frame {
    public:
      void draw() const override { std::cout << "I'm a Windows-like frame" << std::endl; }
    };
    class WindowsButton : public Button {
    public:
      void draw() const override { std::cout << "I'm a Windows-like button" << std::endl; }
    };
    class WindowsLabel : public Label {
    public:
      void draw() const override { std::cout << "I'm a Windows-like label" << std::endl; }
    };
public:
  std::unique_ptr<Frame> createFrame() override { return std::make_unique<WindowsFrame>(); }
  std::unique_ptr<Button> createButton() override { return std::make_unique<WindowsButton>(); }
  std::unique_ptr<Label> createLabel() override { return std::make_unique<WindowsLabel>(); }
};

/* Linux support */
class LinuxFactory : public GUIFactory {
private:
    class LinuxFrame : public Frame {
    public:
      void draw() const override { std::cout << "I'm a Linux-like frame" << std::endl; }
    };
    class LinuxButton : public Button {
    public:
      void draw() const override { std::cout << "I'm a Linux-like button" << std::endl; }
    };
    class LinuxLabel : public Label {
    public:
      void draw() const override { std::cout << "I'm a Linux-like label" << std::endl; }
    };
public:
  std::unique_ptr<Frame> createFrame() override { return std::make_unique<LinuxFrame>(); }
  std::unique_ptr<Button> createButton() override { return std::make_unique<LinuxButton>(); }
  std::unique_ptr<Label> createLabel() override { return std::make_unique<LinuxLabel>(); }
};

std::unique_ptr<GUIFactory> GUIFactory::create(const string& type) {
  if (type == "windows") return std::make_unique<WindowsFactory>();
  return std::make_unique<LinuxFactory>();
}

/* User code */
void buildInterface(GUIFactory& factory) {
  auto frame = factory.createFrame();
  auto button = factory.createButton();
  auto label = factory.createLabel();

  frame->draw();
  button->draw();
  label->draw();
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
  if (argc < 2) return 1;
  auto guiFactory = GUIFactory::create(argv[1]);
  buildInterface(*guiFactory);
}

If the generated executable is named abstractfactory then output may give:

$ ./abstractfactory windows
I'm a Windows-like frame
I'm a Windows-like button
I'm a Windows-like label
$ ./abstractfactory linux  
I'm a Linux-like frame
I'm a Linux-like button
I'm a Linux-like label