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I was wondering if we can consider extension methods as an implementation of the decorator pattern in C#? as the aim is the same but logic of implementation as well as the conception may differ?
Thanks!
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Great question. However, extension methods are not replacements for Decorators. Here is why: Extension methods are static methods that are compiled in and are not changeable at runtime.
Extension methods enable you to "add" methods to existing types without creating a new derived type, recompiling, or otherwise modifying the original type. Extension methods are static methods, but they're called as if they were instance methods on the extended type.
What is extension method? Extension methods in C# are methods applied to some existing class and they look like regular instance methods. This way we can "extend" existing classes we cannot change. Perhaps the best example of extension methods are HtmlHelper extensions used in ASP.NET MVC.
In object-oriented computer programming, an extension method is a method added to an object after the original object was compiled. The modified object is often a class, a prototype or a type. Extension methods are features of some object-oriented programming languages.
The decorator pattern is usually associated with adding behavior to particular instances of a type independently of other instances. In the case of an extension method it affects all instances of a type which are compiled in the same scope. I'd argue that it's not a part of the decorator pattern.
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I think you didn't understand the decorator pattern correctly.
It is not about adding new methods. It's about adding new functionality to existing methods.
So, no, Extension methods are not an implementation of the decorator pattern.
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