CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javapolymorphism
marmistrz
marmistrz

Reputation: 6394

Polymorphism - construct an object of the same type

Let's consider this example:

class InheritedType extends Type {

    public Type simplify() {
        Type newLeft = left.simplify();
        Type newRight = right.simplify();
        Type newExpr = new InheritedType(newLeft, newRight);
        return newExpr.simplify();
    }
}

Now I'd create another inherited type

class InheritedType2 extends Type {

    public Type simplify() {
        Type newLeft = left.simplify();
        Type newRight = right.simplify();
        Type newExpr = new InheritedType2(newLeft, newRight);
        return newExpr.simplify();
    }
}

This method is just the same, only the constructor name differs. Is there any way to avoid code duplication? The following code doesn't work

class Type {

    public Type simplify() {
        Type newLeft = left.simplify();
        Type newRight = right.simplify();
        Type newExpr = new this(newLeft, newRight);
        return newExpr.simplify();
    }
}

Upvotes: 2

Views: 84

Answers (2)

Tunaki
Tunaki

Reputation: 137064

The typical way around this problem is to introduce a common superclass for InheritedType and InheritedType2. This is because, clearly, those two types share logic, mainly: they operate both on left and right operands. So let us create a LeftRightType (for lack of a better name):

abstract class LeftRightType extends Type {

    private Type left, right;

    public LeftRightType(Type left, Type right) {
        this.left = left;
        this.right = right;
    }

    @Override
    public Type simplify() {
        return newInstance(left.simplify(), right.simplify()).simplify();
    }

    public abstract Type newInstance(Type left, Type right);

}

It holds the logic you are currently duplicating and delegate the creation of the concrete instance into a newInstance abstract method that implementors will override. Then you can simply have

class InheritedType extends LeftRightType {
    public InheritedType(Type left, Type right) {
        super(left, right);
    }
    @Override
    public Type newInstance(Type left, Type right) {
        return new InheritedType(left, right);
    }
}

class InheritedType2 extends LeftRightType {
    public InheritedType2(Type left, Type right) {
        super(left, right);
    }
    @Override
    public Type newInstance(Type left, Type right) {
        return new InheritedType2(left, right);
    }
}

Note that if you're using Java 8, you can condense that a lot by giving the concrete class to return directly in the constructor. You don't even need an abstract method anymore.

abstract class LeftRightType extends Type {

    private Type left, right;
    private BinaryOperator<Type> typeSupplier;

    public LeftRightType(Type left, Type right, BinaryOperator<Type> typeSupplier) {
        this.left = left;
        this.right = right;
        this.typeSupplier = typeSupplier;
    }

    public Type simplify() {
        return typeSupplier.apply(left.simplify(), right.simplify()).simplify();
    }
}

and then have

class InheritedType extends LeftRightType {
    public InheritedType(Type left, Type right) {
        super(left, right, InheritedType::new);
    }
}

class InheritedType2 extends LeftRightType {
    public InheritedType2(Type left, Type right) {
        super(left, right, InheritedType2::new);
    }
}

Upvotes: 4

metlos
metlos

Reputation: 316

You can you "curiously recurring template pattern" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiously_recurring_template_pattern:

abstract class Type<This extends Type<This>> {
  protected abstract This newInstance(Type<?> newLeft, Type<?> newRight);

    public This simplify() {
        Type<?> newLeft = left.simplify();
        Type<?> newRight = right.simplify();
        This newExpr = newInstance(newLeft, newRight);
        return newExpr.simplify();
    }
}

class InheritedType extends Type<InheritedType> {
    protected InheritedType newInstance(Type<?> left, Type<?> right) {
        new InheritedType(left, right);
    }
}

class InheritedType2 extends Type<InheritedType2> {
    protected InheritedType2 newInstance(Type<?> left, Type<?> right) {
        new InheritedType2(left, right);
    }
}

Upvotes: 2

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