Polymorphism Patterns - Learning Module

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Factory Methods Using Polymorphism

The Object Creation Challenge

Every object-oriented system faces a fundamental tension: code needs to create objects, but creating objects means knowing their concrete types. The moment you write new ConcreteProduct(), you've created a hard dependency—your code now knows about a specific implementation and cannot easily work with alternatives.

This coupling seems innocent at first. But as systems grow, it becomes a major obstacle to flexibility, testing, and evolution. What if you need different product types for different environments? What if new product types emerge? What if you want to test with mock objects?

The Factory Method pattern, powered by polymorphism, offers an elegant solution that has become one of the most widely used patterns in professional software development.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this page, you will understand how polymorphism enables flexible object creation through factory methods, why this matters for maintainability and testability, and how to apply this pattern in real-world scenarios.

The Problem of Direct Instantiation

To appreciate why factory methods matter, we must first understand the problems that direct instantiation creates. Consider a document processing system that needs to create different document types:

DirectInstantiationProblem.java
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// The naive approach: direct instantiation everywhere
class DocumentProcessor {
    public void processRequest(String documentType, String content) {
        Document doc;
        
        // Direct instantiation creates coupling
        if (documentType.equals("pdf")) {
            doc = new PdfDocument();      // Coupled to PdfDocument
        } else if (documentType.equals("word")) {
            doc = new WordDocument();     // Coupled to WordDocument
        } else if (documentType.equals("text")) {
            doc = new TextDocument();     // Coupled to TextDocument
        } else {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown document type");
        }
        
        doc.setContent(content);
        doc.render();
        doc.save();
    }
}
 
// Problems with this approach:
// 1. DocumentProcessor knows about ALL document types
// 2. Adding new types requires modifying DocumentProcessor
// 3. The if-else chain violates Open/Closed Principle
// 4. Testing requires real document implementations
// 5. Different configurations (dev/prod) require code changes

This approach creates what software architects call creational coupling—the code that uses objects is tightly bound to the code that creates them. Every time a new document type is introduced, every piece of code that creates documents must be updated.

The Ripple Effect of Direct Instantiation

In large codebases, creational coupling can mean changing dozens or hundreds of files when a new type is introduced. This is expensive, error-prone, and discourages the addition of new types—exactly the opposite of what flexible software requires.

Consequences of Direct Instantiation

•Violation of Open/Closed Principle — The class must be modified whenever new types are added, rather than extended.
•High Coupling — Client code depends on all concrete implementations, creating a web of dependencies.
•Difficult Testing — Unit tests cannot easily substitute mock or stub objects for the real implementations.
•Configuration Inflexibility — Different environments (development, staging, production) cannot easily use different object variants.
•Code Duplication — The same if-else creation logic tends to be repeated throughout the codebase.

The Factory Method Pattern

The Factory Method pattern addresses creational coupling by defining an interface for creating objects while allowing subclasses to decide which classes to instantiate. It's a direct application of polymorphism to the problem of object creation.

Definition: A Factory Method is a method that returns an instance of a class (usually defined by an interface or abstract class), where the actual type of the returned instance is determined by the implementing class, not the calling code.

The key insight is that polymorphism works for creation just as it works for behavior. Instead of client code deciding which object to create, it delegates that decision to a factory that can be substituted polymorphically.

FactoryMethodPattern.java
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// Step 1: Define the product interface
interface Document {
    void setContent(String content);
    void render();
    void save();
}
 
// Step 2: Define concrete products
class PdfDocument implements Document {
    private String content;
    
    @Override
    public void setContent(String content) {
        this.content = content;
    }
    
    @Override
    public void render() {
        System.out.println("Rendering PDF with content: " + content);
    }
    
    @Override
    public void save() {
        System.out.println("Saving as .pdf file");
    }
}
 
class WordDocument implements Document {
    private String content;
    
    @Override
    public void setContent(String content) {
        this.content = content;
    }
    
    @Override
    public void render() {
        System.out.println("Rendering Word document: " + content);
    }
    
    @Override
    public void save() {
        System.out.println("Saving as .docx file");
    }
}
 
// Step 3: Define the factory interface with THE FACTORY METHOD
interface DocumentFactory {
    Document createDocument();  // This is the FACTORY METHOD
}
 
// Step 4: Define concrete factories
class PdfDocumentFactory implements DocumentFactory {
    @Override
    public Document createDocument() {
        return new PdfDocument();
    }
}
 
class WordDocumentFactory implements DocumentFactory {
    @Override
    public Document createDocument() {
        return new WordDocument();
    }
}
 
// Step 5: Client code works with abstractions only
class DocumentProcessor {
    private final DocumentFactory factory;
    
    // Factory injected—no knowledge of concrete types!
    public DocumentProcessor(DocumentFactory factory) {
        this.factory = factory;
    }
    
    public void processRequest(String content) {
        // Polymorphic creation—type determined by factory
        Document doc = factory.createDocument();
        doc.setContent(content);
        doc.render();
        doc.save();
    }
}

Now the DocumentProcessor has zero knowledge of concrete document types. It works entirely through the Document interface and the DocumentFactory interface. The actual type of document created is determined by whichever factory implementation is injected.

The Polymorphism Connection

The factory method pattern works because of runtime polymorphism. When factory.createDocument() is called, the JVM looks at the actual type of factory (e.g., PdfDocumentFactory) and calls its overridden createDocument() method. The client code doesn't know or care which implementation runs.

Anatomy of Factory Method Polymorphism

Understanding exactly how polymorphism enables the factory method pattern deepens our appreciation of both concepts. Let's trace through the mechanics:

PolymorphismMechanics.java
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// At runtime, polymorphism operates at two levels:
 
// LEVEL 1: Factory Polymorphism
DocumentFactory factory = new PdfDocumentFactory();
// ^ Reference type: DocumentFactory
// ^ Actual type: PdfDocumentFactory
 
Document doc = factory.createDocument();
// The JVM performs dynamic dispatch:
// 1. Looks at actual object type: PdfDocumentFactory
// 2. Finds createDocument() in PdfDocumentFactory
// 3. Executes PdfDocumentFactory.createDocument()
// 4. Returns a PdfDocument (as Document reference)
 
// LEVEL 2: Product Polymorphism
doc.render();
// The JVM performs dynamic dispatch again:
// 1. Looks at actual object type: PdfDocument
// 2. Finds render() in PdfDocument
// 3. Executes PdfDocument.render()
 
// Both levels use the SAME polymorphic mechanism
// The factory method pattern is polymorphism applied to creation

Two Levels of Polymorphism in Factory Method
Level	Reference Type	Actual Type	Polymorphic Call
Factory Level	DocumentFactory	PdfDocumentFactory	createDocument()
Product Level	Document	PdfDocument	render(), save(), etc.

This double polymorphism is what makes the pattern so powerful. Both the creation logic and the object behavior are determined at runtime based on actual types, not reference types. Client code operates entirely at the abstraction level.

Key Polymorphic Properties

•Substitutability — Any factory implementing DocumentFactory can be used; any product implementing Document can be returned.
•Late Binding — The decision of which types to use is made at runtime, not compile time.
•Encapsulated Variation — Different creation strategies are encapsulated in different factory classes.
•Uniform Interface — All factories present the same interface; all products present the same interface.

Adding New Types Without Modification

The real payoff of the factory method pattern is seen when requirements change. Suppose we need to add support for Markdown documents. With direct instantiation, we'd need to modify DocumentProcessor and every other class that creates documents. With factory methods, we simply add new classes:

AddingNewTypes.java
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// Adding Markdown support requires NO changes to existing code
 
// Step 1: Create the new product
class MarkdownDocument implements Document {
    private String content;
    
    @Override
    public void setContent(String content) {
        this.content = content;
    }
    
    @Override
    public void render() {
        System.out.println("Rendering Markdown: " + content);
    }
    
    @Override
    public void save() {
        System.out.println("Saving as .md file");
    }
}
 
// Step 2: Create the new factory
class MarkdownDocumentFactory implements DocumentFactory {
    @Override
    public Document createDocument() {
        return new MarkdownDocument();
    }
}
 
// Step 3: Use it—no changes to DocumentProcessor!
DocumentFactory markdownFactory = new MarkdownDocumentFactory();
DocumentProcessor processor = new DocumentProcessor(markdownFactory);
processor.processRequest("# Hello Markdown");
 
// Existing code is completely untouched
// PdfDocumentFactory, WordDocumentFactory, DocumentProcessor
// all remain as they were

Open/Closed Principle in Action

The system is now OPEN for extension (adding MarkdownDocument and MarkdownDocumentFactory) but CLOSED for modification (DocumentProcessor didn't change). This is exactly what the Open/Closed Principle prescribes, and polymorphism makes it possible.

Without Factory Method

•Modify DocumentProcessor
•Add new if-else branch
•Update all creation sites
•Risk breaking existing code
•Retest everything

With Factory Method

•Create new Document class
•Create new Factory class
•Inject factory where needed
•Existing code unchanged
•Test only new code

Factory Methods for Testability

One of the most valuable applications of factory method polymorphism is enabling unit testing of code that creates objects. When creation is polymorphic, tests can inject factories that produce mock or stub objects:

TestableFactories.java
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// Production code remains unchanged
class DocumentProcessor {
    private final DocumentFactory factory;
    
    public DocumentProcessor(DocumentFactory factory) {
        this.factory = factory;
    }
    
    public void processRequest(String content) {
        Document doc = factory.createDocument();
        doc.setContent(content);
        doc.render();
        doc.save();
    }
}
 
// Test code: create a mock factory
class MockDocumentFactory implements DocumentFactory {
    public boolean createDocumentCalled = false;
    public MockDocument lastCreatedDocument;
    
    @Override
    public Document createDocument() {
        createDocumentCalled = true;
        lastCreatedDocument = new MockDocument();
        return lastCreatedDocument;
    }
}
 
class MockDocument implements Document {
    public String contentSet;
    public boolean renderCalled = false;
    public boolean saveCalled = false;
    
    @Override
    public void setContent(String content) {
        this.contentSet = content;
    }
    
    @Override
    public void render() {
        this.renderCalled = true;
    }
    
    @Override
    public void save() {
        this.saveCalled = true;
    }
}
 
// Unit test
class DocumentProcessorTest {
    @Test
    public void testProcessRequestCallsAllMethods() {
        // Arrange
        MockDocumentFactory mockFactory = new MockDocumentFactory();
        DocumentProcessor processor = new DocumentProcessor(mockFactory);
        
        // Act
        processor.processRequest("Test Content");
        
        // Assert
        assertTrue(mockFactory.createDocumentCalled);
        assertEquals("Test Content", mockFactory.lastCreatedDocument.contentSet);
        assertTrue(mockFactory.lastCreatedDocument.renderCalled);
        assertTrue(mockFactory.lastCreatedDocument.saveCalled);
    }
}

Without factory methods, testing DocumentProcessor would require instantiating real PDF or Word documents—potentially involving file I/O, external libraries, or complex setup. Factory method polymorphism decouples testing from implementation.

Dependency Injection and Factories

Factory methods are often combined with Dependency Injection (DI) frameworks. The DI container is configured to provide specific factory implementations (production vs. test), and the application code never knows which concrete factories it receives.

Parameterized Factory Methods

Factory methods can accept parameters to influence creation decisions while still maintaining polymorphic flexibility. This pattern is common when the factory needs context to determine what to create:

ParameterizedFactory.java
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// Parameterized factory method
interface NotificationFactory {
    Notification createNotification(NotificationPriority priority);
}
 
enum NotificationPriority {
    LOW, NORMAL, HIGH, URGENT
}
 
interface Notification {
    void send(String message, String recipient);
}
 
// Factory that creates different notification types based on priority
class SmartNotificationFactory implements NotificationFactory {
    @Override
    public Notification createNotification(NotificationPriority priority) {
        switch (priority) {
            case LOW:
                return new EmailNotification();  // Low priority: email only
            case NORMAL:
                return new PushNotification();   // Normal: push notification
            case HIGH:
                return new CompositeNotification(
                    new PushNotification(),
                    new SmsNotification()
                );  // High: push + SMS
            case URGENT:
                return new CompositeNotification(
                    new PushNotification(),
                    new SmsNotification(),
                    new PhoneCallNotification()
                );  // Urgent: push + SMS + phone call
            default:
                return new EmailNotification();
        }
    }
}
 
// Different factory implementation for test environment
class TestNotificationFactory implements NotificationFactory {
    @Override
    public Notification createNotification(NotificationPriority priority) {
        // Always return mock notifications in test
        return new MockNotification();
    }
}
 
// Client code uses factory polymorphically
class AlertService {
    private final NotificationFactory factory;
    
    public AlertService(NotificationFactory factory) {
        this.factory = factory;
    }
    
    public void sendAlert(String message, String recipient, NotificationPriority priority) {
        Notification notification = factory.createNotification(priority);
        notification.send(message, recipient);
    }
}

In this design, the factory method accepts a parameter but the client code is still decoupled from the specific notification types. Different factory implementations (production vs. test) can interpret the parameters differently while maintaining the same interface.

Static Factory Methods

A related pattern is the static factory method—a static method that returns an instance of its class (or a subtype). While not polymorphic on the factory itself, these methods often return polymorphic types and offer several advantages over constructors:

StaticFactoryMethods.java
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// Static factory methods in Java
public class Currency {
    private final String code;
    private final int minorUnits;
    
    // Private constructor—clients can't call directly
    private Currency(String code, int minorUnits) {
        this.code = code;
        this.minorUnits = minorUnits;
    }
    
    // Static factory method with descriptive name
    public static Currency ofCode(String code) {
        // Can implement caching, validation, or return subtypes
        return CURRENCY_CACHE.computeIfAbsent(code, 
            c -> new Currency(c, getMinorUnitsForCode(c)));
    }
    
    // Factory method can return different subtypes
    public static Currency usd() {
        return ofCode("USD");
    }
    
    public static Currency eur() {
        return ofCode("EUR");
    }
}
 
// Another example: returning polymorphic types
public abstract class Shape {
    public abstract double area();
    
    // Static factory returning appropriate subtype
    public static Shape circle(double radius) {
        return new Circle(radius);  // Returns a Circle
    }
    
    public static Shape rectangle(double width, double height) {
        return new Rectangle(width, height);  // Returns a Rectangle
    }
    
    public static Shape square(double side) {
        return new Rectangle(side, side);  // Can reuse implementations
    }
}
 
// Usage is clean and readable
Shape circle = Shape.circle(5.0);
Shape rect = Shape.rectangle(4.0, 3.0);
double totalArea = circle.area() + rect.area();

Advantages of Static Factory Methods

•Descriptive names — ofCode("USD") is clearer than new Currency("USD", 2).
•Caching capability — Can return cached instances instead of always creating new ones.
•Return subtypes — Can return any subtype of the declared return type.
•Implementation hiding — Return type can be interface/abstract class; actual type is hidden.
•Controlled instantiation — Can enforce invariants, singletons, or object pools.

Static vs. Instance Factory Methods

Static factory methods are convenient but not substitutable via polymorphism. Use instance-based factory methods (the Factory Method pattern) when you need to swap factory implementations at runtime or for testing.

Real-World Factory Examples

Factory methods are pervasive in professional software development. Here are examples from widely-used frameworks and libraries:

Factory Methods in Popular Frameworks
Framework/Library	Factory Method	Returns
Java Collections	`List.of()`, `Map.of()`	Immutable collection implementations
Java Optional	`Optional.of()`, `Optional.empty()`	Optional wrapper instances
Spring Framework	`BeanFactory.getBean()`	Bean instances based on configuration
JDBC	`DriverManager.getConnection()`	Database connection implementations
Java Logging	`LoggerFactory.getLogger()`	Logger implementations (SLF4J)
Java Executors	`Executors.newFixedThreadPool()`	ExecutorService implementations

RealWorldExamples.java
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// Java Collections: Factory methods return optimized implementations
List<String> emptyList = List.of();          // Returns EmptyList
List<String> singletonList = List.of("one"); // Returns SingletonList
List<String> smallList = List.of("a", "b");  // Returns List12
List<String> largerList = List.of("a", "b", "c", "d", "e"); // Returns ListN
 
// SLF4J: Factory returns logger bound at runtime
Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(MyClass.class);
// At runtime, this might return:
// - Logback's ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger
// - Log4j's org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLogger
// - Java util logging adapter
// - A no-operation logger
 
// JDBC: Factory returns database-specific connection
Connection conn = DriverManager.getConnection(
    "jdbc:postgresql://localhost/db", "user", "pass"
);
// Returns PostgreSQL's PgConnection, but client sees only Connection interface
 
// Executors: Factory creates thread pool implementations
ExecutorService pool = Executors.newCachedThreadPool();
// Returns ThreadPoolExecutor configured for caching, but client sees only
// the ExecutorService interface

Hidden Implementation Polymorphism

Notice how in all these examples, the caller receives an interface type (List, Logger, Connection, ExecutorService) while the factory decides which concrete implementation to return. This is polymorphism enabling implementation hiding at the creation level.

Summary: Factory Methods and Polymorphism

Factory methods demonstrate that polymorphism isn't just about calling methods on objects—it's about enabling flexibility at every level of object-oriented design, including object creation itself.

Key Takeaways

•Direct instantiation creates coupling — Using new ConcreteClass() binds code to specific implementations.
•Factory methods encapsulate creation — Object creation decisions are delegated to polymorphic factories.
•Double polymorphism enables flexibility — Both factory selection and product usage are polymorphic.
•Extension without modification — New types are added by creating new factories and products, not changing existing code.
•Testability improves dramatically — Mock factories enable isolated unit testing.
•Static and instance factories serve different needs — Use instance factories for substitutability, static factories for convenience.

What's next:

In the next page, we'll explore the Strategy pattern—another powerful application of polymorphism that enables algorithms to be selected and swapped at runtime. Where factory methods make object creation polymorphic, strategy makes behavior polymorphic.

Page Complete

You now understand how polymorphism powers the Factory Method pattern, enabling flexible, extensible, and testable object creation. This pattern is fundamental to professional software development and appears throughout modern frameworks and libraries.