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Fluent Interface Pattern in Java: Enhancing Code Expressiveness with Fluent APIs

BehavioralAPI designCode simplificationDecouplingObject compositionReactiveAbout 4 min

Also known as

  • Fluent API
  • Method Chaining

Intent of Fluent Interface Design Pattern

The primary goal of the Fluent Interface pattern is to provide an easily readable and flowing API by chaining method calls, often referred to as method chaining. This approach is ideal for building complex objects step-by-step and improving the overall developer experience.

Detailed Explanation of Fluent Interface Pattern with Real-World Examples

Real-world example

Imagine you are at a coffee shop customizing your order step-by-step. This approach is similar to how the Fluent Interface design pattern works in Java, allowing you to chain method calls to build and configure objects sequentially. Instead of telling the barista everything at once, you specify each customization step-by-step in a way that flows naturally. For instance, you might say, "I'd like a large coffee, add two shots of espresso, no sugar, and top it with almond milk." This approach is similar to the Fluent Interface design pattern, where you chain together method calls to configure an object in a readable and intuitive manner. Just as you specify each part of your coffee order sequentially, a Fluent Interface allows you to chain method calls to build and configure objects step-by-step in code.

In plain words

Fluent Interface pattern provides easily readable flowing interface to code.

Wikipedia says

In software engineering, a fluent interface is an object-oriented API whose design relies extensively on method chaining. Its goal is to increase code legibility by creating a domain-specific language (DSL).

Programmatic Example of Fluent Interface Pattern in Java

We need to select numbers based on different criteria from the list. It's a great chance to utilize fluent interface pattern to provide readable easy-to-use developer experience.

In this example two implementations of a FluentIterable interface are given.

public interface FluentIterable<E> extends Iterable<E> {

  FluentIterable<E> filter(Predicate<? super E> predicate);

  Optional<E> first();

  FluentIterable<E> first(int count);

  Optional<E> last();

  FluentIterable<E> last(int count);

  <T> FluentIterable<T> map(Function<? super E, T> function);

  List<E> asList();

  static <E> List<E> copyToList(Iterable<E> iterable) {
    var copy = new ArrayList<E>();
    iterable.forEach(copy::add);
    return copy;
  }
}

The SimpleFluentIterable evaluates eagerly and would be too costly for real world applications.

public class SimpleFluentIterable<E> implements FluentIterable<E> {
  // ...
}

The LazyFluentIterable is evaluated on termination.

public class LazyFluentIterable<E> implements FluentIterable<E> {
  // ...
}

Their usage is demonstrated with a simple number list that is filtered, transformed and collected. The result is printed afterward.

public static void main(String[] args) {

    var integerList = List.of(1, -61, 14, -22, 18, -87, 6, 64, -82, 26, -98, 97, 45, 23, 2, -68);

    prettyPrint("The initial list contains: ", integerList);

    var firstFiveNegatives = SimpleFluentIterable
            .fromCopyOf(integerList)
            .filter(negatives())
            .first(3)
            .asList();
    prettyPrint("The first three negative values are: ", firstFiveNegatives);


    var lastTwoPositives = SimpleFluentIterable
            .fromCopyOf(integerList)
            .filter(positives())
            .last(2)
            .asList();
    prettyPrint("The last two positive values are: ", lastTwoPositives);

    SimpleFluentIterable
            .fromCopyOf(integerList)
            .filter(number -> number % 2 == 0)
            .first()
            .ifPresent(evenNumber -> LOGGER.info("The first even number is: {}", evenNumber));


    var transformedList = SimpleFluentIterable
            .fromCopyOf(integerList)
            .filter(negatives())
            .map(transformToString())
            .asList();
    prettyPrint("A string-mapped list of negative numbers contains: ", transformedList);


    var lastTwoOfFirstFourStringMapped = LazyFluentIterable
            .from(integerList)
            .filter(positives())
            .first(4)
            .last(2)
            .map(number -> "String[" + number + "]")
            .asList();
    prettyPrint("The lazy list contains the last two of the first four positive numbers "
            + "mapped to Strings: ", lastTwoOfFirstFourStringMapped);

    LazyFluentIterable
            .from(integerList)
            .filter(negatives())
            .first(2)
            .last()
            .ifPresent(number -> LOGGER.info("Last amongst first two negatives: {}", number));
}

Program output:

08:50:08.260 [main] INFO com.iluwatar.fluentinterface.app.App -- The initial list contains: 1, -61, 14, -22, 18, -87, 6, 64, -82, 26, -98, 97, 45, 23, 2, -68.
08:50:08.265 [main] INFO com.iluwatar.fluentinterface.app.App -- The first three negative values are: -61, -22, -87.
08:50:08.265 [main] INFO com.iluwatar.fluentinterface.app.App -- The last two positive values are: 23, 2.
08:50:08.266 [main] INFO com.iluwatar.fluentinterface.app.App -- The first even number is: 14
08:50:08.267 [main] INFO com.iluwatar.fluentinterface.app.App -- A string-mapped list of negative numbers contains: String[-61], String[-22], String[-87], String[-82], String[-98], String[-68].
08:50:08.270 [main] INFO com.iluwatar.fluentinterface.app.App -- The lazy list contains the last two of the first four positive numbers mapped to Strings: String[18], String[6].
08:50:08.270 [main] INFO com.iluwatar.fluentinterface.app.App -- Last amongst first two negatives: -22

When to Use the Fluent Interface Pattern in Java

Use the Fluent Interface Pattern in Java when

  • Designing APIs that are heavily used and where readability of client code is of high importance.
  • Building complex objects step-by-step, and there is a need to make the code more intuitive and less error-prone.
  • Enhancing code clarity and reducing the boilerplate code, especially in configurations and object-building scenarios.

Fluent Interface Pattern Java Tutorials

Real-World Applications of Fluent Interface Pattern in Java

Benefits and Trade-offs of Fluent Interface Pattern

Benefits:

  • Adopting the Fluent Interface pattern in your Java projects can significantly enhance code readability and maintainability.
  • Encourages building immutable objects since methods typically return new instances.
  • Reduces the need for variables as the context is maintained in the chain.

Trade-offs:

  • Can lead to less intuitive code for those unfamiliar with the pattern.
  • Debugging can be challenging due to the chaining of method calls.
  • Overuse can lead to complex and hard-to-maintain code structures.
  • Builder: Often implemented using a Fluent Interface to construct objects step-by-step. The Builder Pattern focuses on constructing complex objects, while Fluent Interface emphasizes the method chaining mechanism.
  • Chain of Responsibility: Fluent Interfaces can be seen as a specific utilization of the Chain of Responsibility, where each method in the chain handles a part of the task and then delegates to the next method.

References and Credits

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