The Strategy Pattern is a behavioral design pattern that enables an algorithm to be selected dynamically at runtime.
It allows defining a family of similar algorithms and encapsulates each one inside a separate class. By doing so, the algorithms can be interchangeable and can be used interchangeably depending on the context or user preferences.
The Strategy Pattern consists of three main components:
- Strategy Interface/Abstract Class: This defines the common interface or abstract class that all the different strategies must implement. It ensures that all the concrete strategies follow the same contract or have the same set of methods.
- Concrete Strategies: These are the actual implementations of the different algorithms or strategies. Each strategy implementation provides its own unique behavior.
- Context: The context class is responsible for selecting the appropriate strategy at runtime and delegating the execution of the algorithm to the chosen strategy. It abstracts the client from the specific details of each concrete strategy.
The Strategy Pattern promotes loose coupling between the client and the concrete strategies. It allows the client to use different strategies interchangeably without having to know the implementation details of each strategy. It also makes it easier to add new strategies without modifying the existing code.