Single Access Design Pattern - TypeScript demo

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Single Access Design Pattern - TypeScript demo

Table of Contents
What is it?
When to use it?
Class Interface
- Example usage with tests
- Coding exercise
- Final implementation
Feedback

What is it?

The Single Access design pattern restricts the access to a resource, allowing only a single retrieval. Consecutive accesses trigger an error, which usually points to a logical error in the code.

The design emerged in a project that uses a shared information object across multiple states. It provides a way to ensure that the shared data is being accessed only once in each state, and being updated at the end. This has helped point out logical errors where the object is being accessed multiple times, or not being set properly, within a state.

The pattern is used in the project like this:

When a new state is entered, the necessary shared information is retrieved and stored in instance variables. The instance variables can be changed.
Trying to retrieve the information from the shared object a second time triggers an access error.
Not setting the shared information at the end of a state triggers an error in the next access.

As this design controls the ownership of an object, it is similar to C++11's std::unique_ptr.

When to use it?

When you must guarantee that a resource:

is only accessed once
is updated by the object that accessed it

Class Interface

Interface

interface ISingleAccess<T> {
    /** Sets the resource for a single access.
     * @param resource The object of the resource.
     */
    set(resource: T);
    /** Gets the resource. 
     * Marks it as accessed, and removes any references to the object in this class. 
     */
    get(): T;
    /** Checks if the resource is available.
     * @returns true if not accessed and not null, false is accessed or null
     */
    available(): boolean;
}

This is what an interface for the single access implementation looks like. The <T> is a generics notation, that allows specifying to TypeScript what the actual object's type is, and also points out that this will work for any object. If you're not familiar with generics, have a look at the TypeScript's Generics documentation.

Example usage with tests

The following file contains some test cases, versus which your implementation will be tested (if you attempt it!). Test cases are a good way of showing off different use cases, while keeping it easy to follow.

Single Access Tests

import 'mocha';
import { expect } from "chai";
import { SingleAccess } from "./singleAccess";
class MyClass {
    n: number;
    s: string;
    constructor(n, s) {
        this.n = n;
        this.s = s;
    }
}
describe('Single Access Design Pattern', () => {
    it('should allow setting a resource', () => {
        const singleAccess = new SingleAccess<MyClass>();
        const myClass = new MyClass(13, "apples");
        singleAccess.set(myClass);
        expect(singleAccess.available()).to.be.true;
    });
    it('should allow getting a resource once', () => {
        const singleAccess = new SingleAccess<MyClass>();
        const myClass = new MyClass(13, "apples");
        singleAccess.set(myClass);
        const result = singleAccess.get();
        expect(singleAccess.available()).to.be.false;
        expect(result === myClass).to.be.true;
    });
    it('should NOT allow getting a resource more than once', () => {
        const singleAccess = new SingleAccess<MyClass>();
        const myClass = new MyClass(13, "apples");
        singleAccess.set(myClass);
        const result = singleAccess.get();
        expect(singleAccess.available()).to.be.false;
        expect(result === myClass).to.be.true;
        try {
            const fail = singleAccess.get();
            // this should throw an error, if it doesn't then the test must fail, as a second access was allowed
            expect(false).to.be.true;
        } catch (error) {
            expect(error != null);

Coding exercise

Implementation

export class SingleAccess<T> implements ISingleAccess<T> {
    // you can add variables too
    //
    set(resource: T) {
        throw new Error("Method not implemented.");
    }
    get(): T {
        throw new Error("Method not implemented.");
    }
    available(): boolean {
        throw new Error("Method not implemented.");
    }
}

This is an opportunity to have a go at implementing the design pattern. This will help you understand it better, so I definitely recommend giving it a go.

If you want some guidance for where to start, scroll further down.

If you want the final code, go to the end of the page.

Hints:

The resource needs to be stored
The access to the resource needs to be tracked

Final implementation

Implementation

export class SingleAccess<T> implements ISingleAccess<T> {
    private resource: T = null;
    private accessed: boolean = false;
    set(resource: T) {
        this.resource = resource;
        this.accessed = false;
    }
    available(): boolean {
        return !this.accessed && this.resource !== null;
    }
    get(): T {
        if (this.available()) {
            const x = this.resource;
            this.resource = null;
            return x;
        } else if (this.accessed) {
            throw new Error("This object has already been accessed.");
        } else if (this.resource === null) {
            throw new Error("The resource object has not been set.");
        } else {
            throw new Error("Unknown error with single access object");
        }
    }
}

Feedback

For feedback or comments, please create an issue or drop me an email dimtasev@gmail.com

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Single Access Design Pattern - TypeScript demo

Table of Contents

What is it?

When to use it?

Class Interface

Example usage with tests

Coding exercise

Hints:

Final implementation

Feedback

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