Chain of Responsibility Pattern

Chain of Responsibility design pattern can be used to process multiple types of request and each type of request can be handled by multiple handlers. Chain of Responsibility design pattern falls under behavioral pattern of GOF (Gang of Four) pattern.

When to use –

Chain of Responsibility pattern can be used when multiple types of request are handled by multiple handlers. If one handler is not able to process your request, then it will pass to another handler. In this pattern, each handler has reference to next handler. If one handler can’t process request, then it passes it to next handler.

Major components of Chain of Responsibility pattern –

Handler – This is an abstract class. This holds reference of next handler and also has abstract method to handler request.

Concrete Handler – This is concrete class which inherits from Handler class and implements abstract method to handle request.

Client – This is client class and create requests and passes to different handlers in the chain of responsibility pattern.

See below example of Chain of responsibility pattern.

Code –

//Handler class

public abstract class Approver

{

    public abstract void HandleRequest(int requestAmount);

    protected Approver NextApprover;

    public void SetNextApprover(Approver approver)

    {

        NextApprover = approver;

    }

}

//Concrete Handler class

public class Manager : Approver

{

    public override void HandleRequest(int requestAmount)

    {

        if (requestAmount < 100000)

            Console.WriteLine("Manager has approved amount - {0}", requestAmount);

        else if (NextApprover != null)

            NextApprover.HandleRequest(requestAmount);

    }

}

//Concrete Handler class

public class SeniorManager : Approver

{

    public override void HandleRequest(int requestAmount)

    {

        if (requestAmount < 200000)

            Console.WriteLine("Senior Manager has approved amount - {0}", requestAmount);

        else if (NextApprover != null)

            NextApprover.HandleRequest(requestAmount);

    }

}

//Concrete Handler class

public class Director : Approver

{

    public override void HandleRequest(int requestAmount)

    {

        if (requestAmount < 300000)

            Console.WriteLine("Director has approved amount - {0}", requestAmount);

        else if (NextApprover != null)

            NextApprover.HandleRequest(requestAmount);

    }

}

//Client Class

class Program

{

    static void Main(string[] args)

    {

        //Create classes of chain of responsibility

        Approver Manager = new Manager();

        Approver SeniorManager = new SeniorManager();

        Approver Director = new Director();

        //Set next request approver or handler

        Manager.SetNextApprover(SeniorManager);

        SeniorManager.SetNextApprover(Director);

        //Create requests.

        Manager.HandleRequest(75000);

        Manager.HandleRequest(150000);

        Manager.HandleRequest(250000);

        Console.ReadLine();

    }

}

Output –

As you can see in above example, Approver abstract class is inherited to respective approvers. In client class, instance of each concrete handler class created as handler class and set its next approver or handler for each concrete handler class. At last manager class handle request method called all the times. If manager class not able to process request it will pass on to its next approver and so on in chain of responsibilities classes.

You can download full code from Gist.

I hope this article helps you to know more about Chain of Responsibility pattern. Please leave your feedback in comments section below.

References –

DoFactory

See Also –

Creational Patterns	Structural Patterns	Behavioral Patterns
Singleton Pattern	Adapter Pattern	Chain of Responsibility Pattern
Thread safe singleton pattern	Bridge Pattern	Command Pattern
Factory Pattern	Composite Pattern	Interpreter Pattern
Abstract Factory Pattern	Decorator Pattern	Iterator Pattern
Builder Pattern	Facade Pattern	Mediator Pattern
Prototype Pattern	Flyweight Pattern	Memento Pattern
	Proxy Pattern	Observer Pattern
		State Pattern
		Strategy Pattern
		Template Method Pattern
		Visitor Pattern