gof-patterns

Development

Gang of Four design patterns reference for TypeScript projects. Use when choosing or implementing a design pattern, refactoring toward a known pattern, reviewing code for pattern misuse, or answering "which pattern fits here" questions. Covers all 23 creational, structural, and behavioral patterns with idiomatic TypeScript examples and guidance on when (and when not) to use each.

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Gang of Four Patterns in TypeScript

The 23 classic design patterns from Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (Gamma, Helm, Johnson, Vlissides), adapted to idiomatic TypeScript.

🎯 Why: Design for Change

The goal of writing software is to be able to change it safely. Every GoF pattern is a named seam that isolates one axis of change: Strategy hides algorithm choice, Adapter hides a vendor swap, Observer hides who's listening, Factory hides what's instantiated. Reach for a pattern when you have a demonstrated axis of change to absorb. A pattern installed speculatively adds coupling without buying any change-safety.

How to use this skill

Identify the kind of problem from the decision guide below.
Open the matching reference file for the full TypeScript example and the "when to use / when not to" notes.
Prefer the simplest construct that solves the problem. In TypeScript, a union type, a closure, or a plain function often beats a class-heavy pattern. Reach for a GoF pattern when the indirection earns its keep.

Reference files

references/creational.md — object creation: Factory Method, Abstract Factory, Builder, Prototype, Singleton.
references/structural.md — object composition: Adapter, Bridge, Composite, Decorator, Facade, Flyweight, Proxy.
references/behavioral.md — object interaction & responsibility: Chain of Responsibility, Command, Interpreter, Iterator, Mediator, Memento, Observer, State, Strategy, Template Method, Visitor.

Decision guide — symptom → pattern

You are trying to…	Consider	Category
Create objects without naming the concrete class	Factory Method, Abstract Factory	Creational
Build a complex object step by step	Builder	Creational
Copy an existing object	Prototype	Creational
Guarantee exactly one instance	Singleton (often a module instead)	Creational
Make an incompatible interface usable	Adapter	Structural
Vary abstraction and implementation independently	Bridge	Structural
Treat individual objects and groups uniformly	Composite	Structural
Add behavior to objects without subclassing	Decorator	Structural
Hide a complex subsystem behind one interface	Facade	Structural
Share many fine-grained objects cheaply	Flyweight	Structural
Control access to an object (lazy, remote, guarded)	Proxy	Structural
Pass a request along a series of handlers	Chain of Responsibility	Behavioral
Encapsulate a request as an object (undo, queue)	Command	Behavioral
Evaluate sentences in a small language	Interpreter	Behavioral
Traverse a collection without exposing its structure	Iterator	Behavioral
Reduce many-to-many object coupling	Mediator	Behavioral
Capture and restore object state	Memento	Behavioral
Notify dependents of state changes	Observer	Behavioral
Change behavior when internal state changes	State	Behavioral
Swap one of several algorithms at runtime	Strategy	Behavioral
Fix an algorithm skeleton, vary steps	Template Method	Behavioral
Add operations to a class hierarchy without editing it	Visitor	Behavioral

TypeScript-specific guidance

Singleton: an ES module with exported bindings is already a singleton. Use the class form only when you need lazy init or to swap the instance in tests.
Strategy / Command / State: a function or a discriminated union is often lighter than a class hierarchy. Use classes when strategies carry state.
Prototype: structuredClone() covers most deep-copy needs; implement clone() only for objects with methods or non-cloneable fields.
Observer: EventTarget, EventEmitter, or an RxJS Subject are battle-tested implementations — hand-roll only for learning or tight control.
Decorator: the TC39/experimental @decorator syntax is a language feature, not the GoF pattern. The GoF Decorator is object composition; keep them mentally separate.
Favor interface for pattern contracts and discriminated unions for closed sets of variants; lean on readonly and as const for immutability in Memento/Prototype.