strategiepatroon

"Strategiepatroon" is a Dutch term that translates to "strategy pattern" in English. It refers to a behavioral design pattern used in software engineering to enable selecting an algorithm's behavior at runtime. The strategy pattern defines a family of algorithms, encapsulates each one, and makes them interchangeable within that family. This approach promotes flexibility and reusability by allowing the algorithm to vary independently from clients that use it.

The core concept involves creating an abstract interface for a family of algorithms and implementing concrete classes for each alternative. Clients hold a reference to the strategy interface and can switch between different strategies dynamically, often without modifying the context in which they operate. This decouples the algorithms from the context, facilitating easier maintenance and extension.

In practice, the strategy pattern is widely used in scenarios requiring multiple algorithms for a specific task, such as sorting, validation, or calculation methods. It helps improve code organization and adheres to principles like open-closed principle, which advocates for software entities that are open for extension but closed for modification.

For example, in a navigation system, different route calculation algorithms (fastest, shortest, most scenic) can be implemented as separate strategies. The system can switch between these strategies based on user preferences without altering the core logic.

Overall, the strategiepatroon is a fundamental pattern in object-oriented design, promoting flexibility, encapsulation, and maintainability in software development. It is one of the patterns cataloged in the Gang of Four book, "Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software."