Message Forwarding vs Interface Inheritance

Developers should learn message forwarding when working with dynamic languages like Objective-C or Swift to implement advanced patterns like proxy objects, where one object stands in for another to control access or add functionality meets developers should use interface inheritance when designing systems that require multiple classes to adhere to a common contract, such as in plugin architectures, api design, or when implementing design patterns like strategy or factory. Here's our take.

Message Forwarding

Nice Pick

Developers should learn message forwarding when working with dynamic languages like Objective-C or Swift to implement advanced patterns like proxy objects, where one object stands in for another to control access or add functionality

Pros

• It's essential for building flexible architectures, such as in iOS/macOS development for handling unimplemented methods dynamically, enabling features like method interception or creating adaptable components that can respond to unknown messages at runtime
• Related to: objective-c, swift

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Interface Inheritance

Developers should use interface inheritance when designing systems that require multiple classes to adhere to a common contract, such as in plugin architectures, API design, or when implementing design patterns like Strategy or Factory

Pros

• It is essential in languages like Java, C#, and TypeScript for achieving abstraction and decoupling, as it allows objects to be treated uniformly based on their interface rather than their concrete type, facilitating easier testing and maintenance
• Related to: object-oriented-programming, polymorphism

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Message Forwarding if: You want it's essential for building flexible architectures, such as in ios/macos development for handling unimplemented methods dynamically, enabling features like method interception or creating adaptable components that can respond to unknown messages at runtime and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Interface Inheritance if: You prioritize it is essential in languages like java, c#, and typescript for achieving abstraction and decoupling, as it allows objects to be treated uniformly based on their interface rather than their concrete type, facilitating easier testing and maintenance over what Message Forwarding offers.

The Bottom Line

Message Forwarding wins

Developers should learn message forwarding when working with dynamic languages like Objective-C or Swift to implement advanced patterns like proxy objects, where one object stands in for another to control access or add functionality