Bridge Pattern

Kind: pattern

Layer: Design Patterns Core

Aliases: Handle-Body

Record: architecture:bridge-pattern

Severity: contextual

Scope: abstraction, implementation variation

Canonical: Ontology

A design pattern that separates two independent axes of variation into two hierarchies joined by composition.

Listed in Architecture principles, after Proxy Pattern and before Decorator Pattern.

Requires

• Independent Variation Axes

Reinforces

• Composition Over Inheritance

Enables

• Implementation Swap

Conflicts with

• Cartesian Inheritance Explosion

In tension with

• Indirection

Tensions

• Bridge Pattern / Indirection

Violated by

• Cartesian Inheritance Explosion

Severity

• contextual

Category

• Structural Patterns

Linked from

• Core Modular Design
• Structural Patterns
• Severity levels
• The resolutions