Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Adapter pattern and Observer pattern, which sometimes use multiple inheritance to combine interfaces and behavior
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Object oriented design patterns describe reusable solutions to common design problems. In C plus plus, the availability of multiple inheritance allows certain patterns to be implemented in flexible ways by inheriting from more than one base class. This question asks which design patterns are commonly cited as benefiting from multiple inheritance, especially when you want to combine interfaces or mix behaviors without duplicating code.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Multiple inheritance allows a class to derive from more than one base class at the same time. In an Adapter pattern, you might create a class that inherits from a target interface while also using or inheriting from an adaptee class, thereby combining two interfaces. In Observer like designs, you may have a class play more than one role, such as implementing both subject and observer interfaces through multiple inheritance, especially in frameworks where mixin classes are common. These patterns can leverage multiple inheritance to keep code modular and avoid manual forwarding for every method.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider the Adapter pattern. It often needs to present the interface that clients expect and internally connect to an existing implementation. Multiple inheritance lets one class inherit the target interface and the adaptee behavior.
Step 2: Consider the Observer pattern. Some implementations use multiple inheritance so that an object can implement both observer and subject roles or mix in notification behavior.
Step 3: Recognize that the names code pattern and glue pattern are not standard patterns in the commonly referenced catalogs like the Gang of Four book.
Step 4: Option a explicitly lists Adapter and Observer as patterns that may benefit from multiple inheritance. This matches common explanations.
Step 5: Option d claims none of the patterns use multiple inheritance, which ignores the above use cases. Option e focuses on Singleton, which does not rely on multiple inheritance in the same way.
Verification / Alternative check:
If you examine C plus plus examples in design pattern tutorials, you will often find Adapter implemented with multiple inheritance, deriving from both a target interface and an adaptee base class. Some Observer frameworks also provide mixin base classes and use multiple inheritance to add observer behavior to domain classes. This is less common in single inheritance languages like Java, which rely on interfaces only, and shows the advantage in C plus plus.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option b and option c reference pattern names that are not standard or widely accepted, so they do not correctly answer the question. Option d incorrectly denies any link between multiple inheritance and these patterns. Option e singles out Singleton, which mainly uses static members or controlled constructors rather than multiple inheritance as a core mechanism.
Common Pitfalls:
Developers sometimes either overuse or avoid multiple inheritance without thinking about design trade offs. Multiple inheritance can introduce complexity, such as the diamond problem, if not handled carefully with virtual inheritance. However, when used in a controlled way for interface and behavior composition in patterns like Adapter and Observer, it can be a powerful tool in C plus plus.
Final Answer:
The design patterns most commonly cited as benefiting from multiple inheritance are Adapter and Observer, which can use multiple inheritance to combine interfaces and behavior.
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