How can circular dependencies be avoided when callbacks are used?

Question

How can you avoid circular dependencies when you're designing two classes with a producer/consumer relationship? Here ListenerImpl needs a reference to Broadcaster in order to register/unregister itself, and Broadcaster needs a reference back to the Listeners in order to send messages. This example is in Java but it can apply to any OO language.

public interface Listener {
  void callBack(Object arg);
}
public class ListenerImpl implements Listener {
  public ListenerImpl(Broadcaster b) { b.register(this); }
  public void callBack(Object arg) { ... }
  public void shutDown() { b.unregister(this); }
}
public class Broadcaster {
  private final List listeners = new ArrayList();
  public void register(Listener lis) { listeners.add(lis); }
  public void unregister(Listener lis) {listeners.remove(lis); }
  public void broadcast(Object arg) { for (Listener lis : listeners) { lis.callBack(arg); } }
}

Answer 1

Here's an example in Lua (I use my own Oop lib here, see references to 'Object' in the code).

Like in Mikael Jansson's CLOS example, your can use functions directly, removing the need of defining listeners (note the use of '...', it's Lua's varargs):

Broadcaster = Object:subclass()

function Broadcaster:initialize()
    self._listeners = {}
end

function Broadcaster:register(listener)
    self._listeners[listener] = true
end

function Broadcaster:unregister(listener)
    self._listeners[listener] = nil
end
function Broadcaster:broadcast(...)
    for listener in pairs(self._listeners) do
        listener(...)
    end
end

Sticking to your implementation, here's an example that could be written in any dynamic language I guess:

--# Listener
Listener = Object:subclass()
function Listener:callback(arg)
    self:subclassResponsibility()
end

--# ListenerImpl
function ListenerImpl:initialize(broadcaster)
    self._broadcaster = broadcaster
    broadcaster:register(this)
end
function ListenerImpl:callback(arg)
    --# ...
end
function ListenerImpl:shutdown()
    self._broadcaster:unregister(self)
end

--# Broadcaster
function Broadcaster:initialize()
    self._listeners = {}
end
function Broadcaster:register(listener)
    self._listeners[listener] = true
end
function Broadcaster:unregister(listener)
    self._listeners[listener] = nil
end
function Broadcaster:broadcast(arg)
    for listener in pairs(self._listeners) do
        listener:callback(arg)
    end
end

Answer 2

Use weak references to break the cycle.

See this answer.

Answer 3

In contrast to Herms' answer, I do see a loop. It's not a dependency loop, it's a a reference loop: LI holds the B object, the B object holds (an Array of) LI object(s). They don't free easily, and care needs to be taken to ensure that they free when possible.

One workaround is simply to have the LI object hold a WeakReference to the broadcaster. Theoretically, if the broadcaster has gone away, there's nothing to deregister with anyway, so then your deregistration will simply check if there is a broadcaster to deregister from, and do so if there is.

Answer 4

Any OOP language? OK. Here's a ten-minute version in CLOS.

Broadcasting framework

(defclass broadcaster ()
  ((listeners :accessor listeners
              :initform '())))

(defgeneric add-listener (broadcaster listener)
  (:documentation "Add a listener (a function taking one argument)
  to a broadcast's list of interested parties"))

(defgeneric remove-listener (broadcaster listener)
  (:documentation "Reverse of add-listener"))

(defgeneric broadcast (broadcaster object)
  (:documentation "Broadcast an object to all registered listeners"))

(defmethod add-listener (broadcaster listener)
  (pushnew listener (listeners broadcaster)))

(defmethod remove-listener (broadcaster listener)
  (let ((listeners (listeners broadcaster)))
    (setf listeners (remove listener listeners))))

(defmethod broadcast (broadcaster object)
  (dolist (listener (listeners broadcaster))
    (funcall listener object)))

Example subclass

(defclass direct-broadcaster (broadcaster)
  ((latest-broadcast :accessor latest-broadcast)
   (latest-broadcast-p :initform nil))
  (:documentation "I broadcast the latest broadcasted object when a new listener is added"))

(defmethod add-listener :after ((broadcaster direct-broadcaster) listener)
  (when (slot-value broadcaster 'latest-broadcast-p)
    (funcall listener (latest-broadcast broadcaster))))

(defmethod broadcast :after ((broadcaster direct-broadcaster) object)
  (setf (slot-value broadcaster 'latest-broadcast-p) t)
  (setf (latest-broadcast broadcaster) object))

Example code

Lisp> (let ((broadcaster (make-instance 'broadcaster)))
        (add-listener broadcaster 
                      #'(lambda (obj) (format t "I got myself a ~A object!~%" obj)))
        (add-listener broadcaster 
                      #'(lambda (obj) (format t "I has object: ~A~%" obj)))
        (broadcast broadcaster 'cheezburger))

I has object: CHEEZBURGER
I got myself a CHEEZBURGER object!

Lisp> (defparameter *direct-broadcaster* (make-instance 'direct-broadcaster))
      (add-listener *direct-broadcaster*
                  #'(lambda (obj) (format t "I got myself a ~A object!~%" obj)))
      (broadcast *direct-broadcaster* 'kitty)

I got myself a KITTY object!

Lisp> (add-listener *direct-broadcaster*
                    #'(lambda (obj) (format t "I has object: ~A~%" obj)))

I has object: KITTY

Unfortunately, Lisp solves most of the design pattern problems (such as yours) by eliminating the need for them.

Answer 5

I'm not a java dev, but something like this:

public class ListenerImpl implements Listener {
  public Foo() {}
  public void registerWithBroadcaster(Broadcaster b){ b.register(this); isRegistered = true;}
  public void callBack(Object arg) { if (!isRegistered) throw ... else ... }
  public void shutDown() { isRegistered = false; }
}

public class Broadcaster {
  private final List listeners = new ArrayList();
  public void register(Listener lis) { listeners.add(lis); }
  public void unregister(Listener lis) {listeners.remove(lis); }
  public void broadcast(Object arg) { for (Listener lis : listeners) { if (lis.isRegistered) lis.callBack(arg) else unregister(lis); } }
}

Answer 6

I don't see that being a circular dependency.

Listener depends on nothing.

ListenerImpl depends on Listener and Broadcaster

Broadcaster depends on Listener.

        Listener
       ^        ^
      /          \
     /            \
Broadcaster <--  ListenerImpl

All arrows end at Listener. There's no cycle. So, I think you're OK.