subfactory

A subfactory is a design pattern used in object-oriented programming. It is a specialized factory object whose responsibility is to create a particular type of object, often a variation or a specific instance of a more general type. In essence, a subfactory acts as a subordinate to a main factory or a creator of a product family.

The purpose of a subfactory is to encapsulate the creation logic for a subset of objects. This helps to simplify the main factory by delegating specific creation tasks. For example, if a main factory is responsible for creating different types of vehicles, subfactories could be used to handle the creation of cars, trucks, or motorcycles separately. Each subfactory would then know how to construct its specific type of vehicle.

Subfactories are particularly useful when the creation process for certain objects is complex or when there are many variations of a particular product. By isolating this complexity within a subfactory, the overall system becomes more manageable and easier to extend. Developers can modify or add new subfactories without significantly impacting the main factory or other parts of the codebase. This promotes modularity and adheres to the principles of single responsibility and open/closed design.