Chain-of-responsibility pattern

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In computer programming, the chain-of-responsibility pattern is a design pattern consisting of a source of command objects and a series of processing objects. Each processing object contains a set of logic that describes the types of command objects that it can handle, and how to pass off those that it cannot to the next processing object in the chain. A mechanism also exists for adding new processing objects to the end of this chain.

In a variation of the standard chain-of-responsibility model, some handlers may act as dispatchers, capable of sending commands out in a variety of directions, forming a tree of responsibility. In some cases, this can occur recursively, with processing objects calling higher-up processing objects with commands that attempt to solve some smaller part of the problem; in this case recursion continues until the command is processed, or the entire tree has been explored. An XML interpreter (parsed, but not yet executed) might be a fitting example.

This pattern promotes the idea of loose coupling, a common programming practice.

1 Examples
- 1.1 Java
2 See also
3 External links

[edit] Examples

[edit] Java

The following Java code illustrates the pattern with the example of a logging class. Each logging handler decides if any action is to be taken at this log level and then passes the message on to the next logging handler. The output is:

Writing to debug output: Entering function x.
Writing to debug output: Step1 completed.
Writing to stderr:       Step1 completed.
Writing to debug output: An error has occurred.
Sending via e-mail:      An error has occurred.
Writing to stderr:       An error has occurred.

Note that this example should not be seen as a recommendation to write Logging classes this way.

import java.util.*;

abstract class Logger {
   public static int ERR = 3;
   public static int NOTICE = 5;
   public static int DEBUG = 7;
   protected int mask;

   protected Logger next; // the next element in the chain of responsibility
   public Logger setNext(Logger l) { next = l; return this; }

   abstract public void message(String msg, int priority);
}

class DebugLogger extends Logger {
   public DebugLogger(int mask) { this.mask = mask; }

   public void message(String msg, int priority) {
       if (priority <= mask) System.out.println("Writing to debug output: "+msg);
       if (next != null) next.message(msg, priority);
   }
}

class EMailLogger extends Logger {
   public EMailLogger(int mask) { this.mask = mask; }

   public void message(String msg, int priority) {
       if (priority <= mask) System.out.println("Sending via e-mail:      "+msg);
       if (next != null) next.message(msg, priority);
   }
}

class StderrLogger extends Logger {
   public StderrLogger(int mask) { this.mask = mask; }

   public void message(String msg, int priority) {
       if (priority <= mask) System.out.println("Writing to stderr:       "+msg);
       if (next != null) next.message(msg, priority);
   }
}

class ChainOfResponsibilityExample {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
       // building the chain of responsibility
       Logger l = new DebugLogger(Logger.DEBUG).setNext(
                   new EMailLogger(Logger.ERR).setNext( 
                    new StderrLogger(Logger.NOTICE) ) );

       l.message("Entering function x.", Logger.DEBUG);    // handled by DebugLogger
       l.message("Step1 completed.", Logger.NOTICE);       // handled by Debug- and StderrLogger
       l.message("An error has occurred.", Logger.ERR);     // handled by all three Logger
   }
}