My problem concerns an API design.
Let's say I'm designing a vector (math/physics meaning). I would like to have both an immutable implemenation and a mutable one.
I have then my vector that looks like this:
public interface Vector {
public float getX(); public float getY();
public X add(Vector v);
public X subtract(Vector v);
public X multiply(Vector v);
public float length();
}
I wonder how I can ensure to have both a mutable and an immutable implementation. I don't really like java.util.List's approach (allowing mutability by default) and the UnsupportedOperationException() that Guava's immutable implementation has.
How can I design a "perfect" interface or abstract class Vector with both these implementations?
I've thought about something like this:
public interface Vector {
...
public Vector add(Vector v);
...
}
public final class ImmutableVector implements Vector {
...
public ImmutableVector add(Vector v) {
return new ImmutableVector(this.x+v.getX(), this.y+v.getY());
}
...
}
public class MutableVector implements Vector {
...
public MutableVector add(Vector v) {
this.x += v.getX();
this.y += v.getY();
return this;
}
...
}
So all in all, I would like to check if this approach has flagrant design flaws, which are they and what should I do tho fix these?
Notes: the "vector" stuff is an example of a more general use case. For the sake of my question I could have chosen to rewrite the List interface or anything else. Please focus on the more general use case.
Final choice, after answers below, based on Joda-time as someone explained but now edited:
/** Basic class, allowing read-only access. */
public abstract class ReadableVector {
public abstract float getX(); public abstract float getY();
public final float length() {
return Vectors.length(this);
}
// equals(Object), toString(), hashCode(), toImmutableVectors(), mutableCopy()
}
/** ImmutableVector, not modifiable implementation */
public final class ImmutableVector extends ReadableVector implements Serializable {
// getters
// guava-like builder methods (copyOf, of, etc.)
}
/** Mutable implementation */
public class Vector extends ReadableVector implements Serializable {
// fields, getters and setters
public void add (ReadableVector v) {/* delegate to Vectors */}
public void subtract(ReadableVector v) {/* delegate to Vectors */}
public void multiply(ReadableVector v) {/* delegate to Vectors */}
}
/** Tool class containing all the logic */
public final class Vectors {
public static ImmutableVector add(ReadableVector v1, ReadableVector v2) {...}
public static void addTo(Vector v1, ReadableVector v2) {...}
...
}
I changed Vector from an interface to a abstract class because basically a vector shouldn't be anything else.
Thank you to everyone.
I do not think there is anything evidently wrong with your design. I find it perfectly valid. There are few things that I would take into account if I were you:
Of course most of this points are arguable, these are just my opinions.