Builder Design Pattern

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Builder pattern
Origin
This builder pattern is based on that described in [Gam+, pages 97..106]. The Delphi
implementation for the pattern is from Shaun Parry.

Intent
'Define an interface for creating an object, but let subclasses decide which class to
instantiate' [Gam+,p97].

Motivation
The motivation is based on [Gam+, page 97]. Builder has a similar motivation to the
abstract factory but, whereas in that pattern, the client uses the abstract factory class
methods to create its own object, in Builder the client instructs the builder class on
how to create the object and then asks it for the result. How the class is put together is
up to the Builder class. It's a subtle difference.

Implementation
The following is an example of making a panel with three edit boxes within it, as with
the Abstract Factory pattern. Again we are going to use a method called CreatePanel
within a class called PanelMaker:
type
TPanelMaker = class (TObject)
public
function CreatePanel( aOwner : TWinControl; PanelBuilder :
TBuilder ): TPanel;
end;
implementation
function TPanelMaker.CreatePanel(aOwner : TWinControl;
PanelBuilder : TBuilder ): TPanel;
// Notice that thereare no
// local variables such as
// TempPanel and TempButton
// These are kept local to the builder object
begin
PanelBuilder.BuildPanel( aOwner, 100, 200 );

http://www.castle-cadenza.demon.co.uk/builder.htm

04/12/2007

Builder Design Pattern

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PanelBuilder.BuildEdit( 10, 10, 21, 100 );

PanelBuilder.BuildEdit( 40, 10, 21, 100 );
PanelBuilder.BuildEdit( 70, 10, 21, 100 );
CreatePanel := PanelBuilder.Panel;
end;

Notice that all we are doing is telling the builder what to do with the panel, rather than
asking it for various components.
The builder class looks like this:
type
TPanelBuilder = class (TObject)
protected
FButtonList : TList;
FEditList : TList;
FPanel: TPanel;
function GetPanel: TPanel; virtual;
public
procedure BuildButton(Caption : string;
Top : Integer;
Left : Integer;
Height : Integer;
Width: Integer); virtual;
procedure BuildEdit(Top : Integer;
Left : Integer;
Height : Integer;
Width : Integer); virtual;
procedure BuildPanel(aOwner : TWinControl;
Height : Integer;
Width : Integer); virtual;
property Panel: TPanel read GetPanel;
end;
implementation
procedure TPanelBuilder.BuildButton(Caption : string;
Top : Integer;
Left : Integer;
Height : Integer;
Width: Integer);
var
TempButton: TButton;
begin
TempButton := TButton.Create( FPanel );

http://www.castle-cadenza.demon.co.uk/builder.htm

04/12/2007

Builder Design Pattern

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TempButton.Parent := FPanel;
TempButton.Caption := Caption;
TempButton.Top := Top;
TempButton.Left := Left;
TempButton.Height := Height;
TempButton.Width := Width;
end;
procedure TPanelBuilder.BuildEdit(Top : Integer;
Left : Integer;
Height : Integer;
Width : Integer);
var
TempEdit: TEdit;
begin
TempEdit := TEdit.Create( FPanel );
TempEdit.Parent := FPanel;
TempEdit.Top := Top;
TempEdit.Left := Left;
TempEdit.Height := Height;
TempEdit.Width := Width;
end;
procedure TPanelBuilder.BuildPanel(aOwner : TWinControl;
Height : Integer;
Width : Integer);
begin
FPanel := TPanel.Create( aOwner );
FPanel.Parent := aOwner;
FPanel.Height := Height;
Fpanel.Width := Width;
end;
function TPanelBuilder.GetPanel: TPanel;
begin
GetPanel := FPanel;
end;

Say that we want to change this, such that we want to make the default panel one with
OK and Cancel buttons. All we have to do is sub class TPanelBuilder and override
BuildPanel, thus:
type
TButtonPanelBuilder = class (TPanelBuilder)
public

http://www.castle-cadenza.demon.co.uk/builder.htm

04/12/2007

Builder Design Pattern

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procedure BuildPanel(aOwner : TWinControl;

Height : Integer;
Width : Integer); override;
end;
procedure TButtonPanelBuilder.BuildPanel(aOwner : TWinControl;
Height : Integer;
Width : Integer);
var
OKButton: TButton;
CancelButton: TButton;
begin
inherited BuildPanel(aOwner, Height, Width);
FPanel.Width := FPanel.Width + 60; // increase the size of the
// panel to fit the buttons
OKButton := TButton.Create( FPanel );
OKButton.Parent := FPanel;
OKButton.Caption := 'OK';
OKButton.Top := FPanel.Top + 21;
OKButton.Left := FPanel.Width - 60;
OKButton.Width := 50;
CancelButton := TButton.Create( FPanel );
CancelButton.Parent := FPanel;
CancelButton.Caption := 'Cancel';
CancelButton.Top := OKButton.Top + OKButton.Top + 21;
CancelButton.Left := FPanel.Width - 60;
CancelButton.Width := 50;
end;

http://www.castle-cadenza.demon.co.uk/builder.htm

04/12/2007