Using the Factory Method Pattern

 Introduction to a Classic OOP Design Pattern

Throughout my career as a developer I have had the occasion to use the Factory Method Pattern when appropriate, and grown to rely on it extensively in recent months as several projects have dictated. I find this pattern to be extremely useful in creating a loosely-coupled application architecture, which (as we’ve all been indoctrinated) is the cornerstone of well designed apps. It is my hope that this introduction will illuminate this pattern for the uninitiated. Even if you don’t find an immediate application for the Factory Pattern, just understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of this design can be important in grasping the importance of the “open-closed” principle, and will help you to write better code. 

Let me start off by giving the standard text-book definition of the pattern:

The Factory Pattern “…define[s] an interface for creating an object, but allows the subclasses decide which class to instantiate. The Factory method lets a class defer instantiation to subclasses.” 

Create an Abstract Background in Illustrator CS3

Theater Profile Background

Blended Objects are a quick way to create unique backgrounds. When you use the Blend tool you can create smooth transitions between objects. Recently, we created an audacious design for a new web site called Theaterprofile.com. We wanted to capture the essence of the theater by using color and motion in the background. We used Illustrator CS3 and its various tools such as Blends, Gradients, and the Mesh Tool to create this one-of-a-kind background.

Embedding Assets in Flex

Just working on another fun project here, and I thought that I would share something that I don’t see alot of Flex developers doing out there. That is organizing your image assests into asset classes as constants. It’s an easy way to keep everything organized, and reduce your overhead, because you can creatre classes that encapsulate a skin or graphics set for a particular task. If you want to learn how read on…