🔌 Adapter Pattern: Bridging Interfaces for Flexibility

In software engineering, one of the most powerful design strategies is the ability to reuse existing code without modifying it. This is especially valuable when integrating with legacy systems or third-party libraries. That’s where the Adapter Pattern comes in.

Described in the classic book Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software by the Gang of Four (GoF), the Adapter Pattern is a structural design pattern that allows objects with incompatible interfaces to work together.

It acts as a bridge between two incompatible interfaces by translating the interface of one class into an interface expected by the client.

🔹 When to Use the Adapter Pattern

• When you want to reuse an existing class, but its interface does not match the one you need.
• When you need to integrate third-party components into your application.
• When you’re working with legacy code and want to avoid modifying the original source.

🔧 Java Example: Adapter for a Media Player

Let’s say you have an advanced media player that can play mp4 and vlc files, but your current application only supports mp3. You want to adapt the advanced media player to your existing interface.

Step 1: Target Interface

Step 2: Adapter

Step 3: Adapter Class

Step 4: Client Using the Adapter

Step 5: Running the Example

✅ Output

✅ Benefits of the Adapter Pattern

• Promotes code reuse and separation of concerns.
• Enables integration of incompatible systems without changing the existing code.
• Makes systems more flexible and extendable.

The Adapter Pattern is a go-to solution when you need to wrap incompatible code with a new interface. It allows you to work with existing systems and libraries while maintaining a clean, maintainable architecture.

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