Poltergeist (computer science)

In computer programming, a poltergeist (or gypsy wagon) is a short-lived, typically stateless object used to perform initialization or to invoke methods in another, more permanent class. The original definition is by Michael Akroyd 1996 - Object World West Conference::"As a gypsy wagon or a poltergeist appears and disappears mysteriously, so does this short lived object. As a consequence the code is more difficult to maintain and there is unnecessary resource waste. The typical cause for this antipattern is poor object design."

A poltergeist can often be identified by its name; they are often called "manager_", "controller_", "start_process", etc.

Poltergeists should not be confused with long-lived, state-bearing objects of a pattern such as Model-view-controller, or tier-separating patterns such as Business-Delegate.

To remove a poltergeist, delete the class and insert its functionality in the invoked class, possibly by inheritance or as a mixin.

Poltergeists are examples of an anti-pattern.

ee also

*Anti-pattern

References

*cite book |last=Brown |first=William J. |title=AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis |year=1998 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |location=New York, USA |isbn=0471197130 |chapter=Chapter 5: Software Development AntiPatterns

External links

* [http://www.antipatterns.com/dev_cat.htm Development AntiPatterns]