Factory Method Pattern in Java

Factory Method is the creational pattern you reach for when object selection varies, but the rest of the workflow should stay stable. In Java, that often means keeping orchestration logic in one place while letting subclasses or pluggable creators choose which concrete product to supply.

This pattern is especially useful when switch-based creation starts spreading, when extension points matter, or when a superclass defines the surrounding algorithm but not the concrete dependency. It is less useful when a plain static factory or a dependency-injected supplier would be simpler.

Read this section with one question in mind: is creation variability the real design axis here, or are you just avoiding a constructor call?

In this section

• Implementing Factory Method in Java
  Use Factory Method in Java when creation varies but the surrounding workflow should remain stable and testable.
• Product and Creator Hierarchies in Java Factory Method
  Design product and creator hierarchies that stay extensible without becoming inheritance-heavy or brittle.
• Parameterized Factories in Java
  Use parameterized factories when selection logic is simple enough for one creation component and does not need a full class hierarchy.
• Extending Factories in Java
  Extend factory-based creation in Java without turning each new product into a brittle inheritance ceremony.
• Factory Method Pattern in Java Use Cases and Examples in Java
  Explore practical scenarios and examples of the Factory Method Pattern in Java, including logging frameworks and connection managers.