Singleton Design Pattern
The Singleton pattern is a creational design pattern that allows only one
instance of a class to be created and provides a global point of access to
that instance. This pattern is useful when only one object is needed to
coordinate actions across the system. It is also helpful when there is a
need to restrict the instantiation of a class to one object.
The Singleton pattern defines a class with a private constructor that
prevents external instantiation of the class. It also defines a static
method that returns the same instance of the class every time it is
called. This static method is usually called `getInstance()`.
Here's an example implementation of the Singleton pattern in Java:
```
public class Singleton {
private static Singleton instance;
private Singleton() {
// private constructor to prevent external instantiation
}
public static Singleton getInstance() {
if(instance == null) {
instance = new Singleton();
}
return instance;
}
}
```
In the example above, the `Singleton` class has a private constructor,
preventing any external instantiation of the class. The `getInstance()`
method returns the same instance of the class every time it is called.
The `instance` variable is static, ensuring that only one instance of the
class is ever created.
The Singleton pattern is commonly used in situations where there is a
need to centralize control of a resource, such as a database connection,
a thread pool, or a logging mechanism. By restricting the instantiation
of the class to one object, the Singleton pattern ensures that the
resource is shared across the system in a controlled manner.
However, the Singleton pattern has some disadvantages. It can make
code harder to test, as it introduces global state into the system. It can
also lead to tight coupling between classes, as the Singleton instance is
usually accessed through a static method. Finally, it can limit the
scalability of the system, as the Singleton object becomes a bottleneck
for concurrent access.