Memento Design Pattern: Code Time Travel for the Forgetful Developer

Memento Design Pattern: Code Time Travel for the Forgetful Developer

Hey there, code wanderers! Ever wished you could hit the undo button in real life? The Memento Design Pattern is like having a time-traveling buddy in your code – it lets you capture and restore an object's state, saving you from those "Oops, what did I just do?" moments. It's a pattern that's as handy as a pocket-sized time machine, ensuring you never lose your way in the coding continuum.

Concept:

• Originator: Your main character, whose state you want to save.
• Memento: The snapshot of your character's state, like a Polaroid photo from the past.
• Caretaker: The keeper of these snapshots, making sure you can rewind and fast-forward as needed.
• Client: You, the time-traveling developer, managing your code's journey.

Ruby Time-Travel Adventure:

Now, let's embark on a Ruby adventure that's as thrilling as a sci-fi movie and as comforting as a warm cup of tea.

Originator:

# Your main character - the Originator
class CodeDeveloper
  attr_accessor :code_state

  def initialize
    @code_state = ''
  end

  def write_code(code)
    @code_state += code
    puts 'Writing some awesome code!'
  end

  def save_state
    CodeMemento.new(@code_state)
  end

  def restore_state(memento)
    @code_state = memento.state
    puts 'Code successfully restored!'
  end
end

Memento:

# The snapshot of your character's state - the Memento
class CodeMemento
  attr_reader :state

  def initialize(state)
    @state = state
  end
end

Caretaker:

# The keeper of snapshots - the Caretaker
class CodeTimeMachine
  attr_accessor :snapshots

  def initialize
    @snapshots = []
  end

  def add_snapshot(snapshot)
    @snapshots << snapshot
    puts 'Snapshot taken!'
  end

  def get_snapshot(index)
    @snapshots[index]
  end
end

Time-Traveler Code:

# The time-traveling developer's code
developer = CodeDeveloper.new
time_machine = CodeTimeMachine.new

developer.write_code('puts "Hello, World!"')
time_machine.add_snapshot(developer.save_state)

developer.write_code('puts "Coding is fun!"')
time_machine.add_snapshot(developer.save_state)

puts 'Oops! What did I just do? Time to rewind...'

# Let's go back to the first snapshot
developer.restore_state(time_machine.get_snapshot(0))

Why It's a Time Machine:

The Memento Design Pattern is like having a time machine for your code. Whether you want to rewind to a previous state or fast-forward to the future, it ensures you never lose track of your coding journey. It's the ultimate safety net for the forgetful developer.

So, whether you're crafting code masterpieces or just trying to avoid those "Oops" moments, the Memento Pattern is your trusty companion. Time travel on, code wanderers, time travel on! ⏳✨