GOF Builder Pattern

GOF Builder Pattern

Construct complex objects step-by-step using fluent builders and director classes.

When to Use

• An object requires many optional parameters and a telescoping constructor is unreadable
• You need to construct the same object through different representations (JSON, XML, plain object)
• You want immutable objects with a mutable construction phase
• Validation should happen at build() time, not during individual setters

Instructions

Fluent builder with TypeScript (most common pattern):

interface QueryConfig {
  table: string;
  conditions: string[];
  orderBy?: string;
  limit?: number;
  offset?: number;
  joins: string[];
}

class QueryBuilder {
  private config: Partial<QueryConfig> = { conditions: [], joins: [] };

  from(table: string): this {
    this.config.table = table;
    return this;
  }

  where(condition: string): this {
    this.config.conditions!.push(condition);
    return this;
  }

  join(clause: string): this {
    this.config.joins!.push(clause);
    return this;
  }

  orderBy(column: string): this {
    this.config.orderBy = column;
    return this;
  }

  limit(n: number): this {
    this.config.limit = n;
    return this;
  }

  offset(n: number): this {
    this.config.offset = n;
    return this;
  }

  build(): string {
    if (!this.config.table) throw new Error('Table is required');

    let query = `SELECT * FROM ${this.config.table}`;
    if (this.config.joins!.length > 0) {
      query += ` ${this.config.joins!.join(' ')}`;
    }
    if (this.config.conditions!.length > 0) {
      query += ` WHERE ${this.config.conditions!.join(' AND ')}`;
    }
    if (this.config.orderBy) query += ` ORDER BY ${this.config.orderBy}`;
    if (this.config.limit !== undefined) query += ` LIMIT ${this.config.limit}`;
    if (this.config.offset !== undefined) query += ` OFFSET ${this.config.offset}`;

    return query;
  }
}

// Usage
const query = new QueryBuilder()
  .from('users')
  .join('LEFT JOIN orders ON orders.user_id = users.id')
  .where('users.active = true')
  .where('users.age > 18')
  .orderBy('users.created_at DESC')
  .limit(20)
  .offset(40)
  .build();

Immutable result via build():

class EmailBuilder {
  private to: string[] = [];
  private subject = '';
  private body = '';
  private cc: string[] = [];
  private attachments: Buffer[] = [];

  addTo(address: string): this {
    this.to.push(address);
    return this;
  }
  withSubject(subject: string): this {
    this.subject = subject;
    return this;
  }
  withBody(body: string): this {
    this.body = body;
    return this;
  }
  addCC(address: string): this {
    this.cc.push(address);
    return this;
  }
  addAttachment(data: Buffer): this {
    this.attachments.push(data);
    return this;
  }

  build(): Readonly<Email> {
    if (this.to.length === 0) throw new Error('At least one recipient required');
    if (!this.subject) throw new Error('Subject is required');
    return Object.freeze({
      to: [...this.to],
      subject: this.subject,
      body: this.body,
      cc: [...this.cc],
      attachments: [...this.attachments],
    });
  }
}

Director class (for reusable construction sequences):

class ReportDirector {
  constructor(private builder: ReportBuilder) {}

  buildSummaryReport(): void {
    this.builder
      .setTitle('Summary Report')
      .addSection('Overview')
      .addSection('KPIs')
      .setFooter('Confidential');
  }

  buildDetailedReport(): void {
    this.builder
      .setTitle('Detailed Report')
      .addSection('Executive Summary')
      .addSection('Data Analysis')
      .addSection('Charts')
      .addSection('Raw Data')
      .addSection('Appendix')
      .setFooter('Confidential');
  }
}

Details

Why not just use an options object? Options objects work well for simple configs, but builders shine when:

• Validation logic is non-trivial and should fail loudly at build()
• The construction process has ordering constraints
• You need to produce multiple output formats from one construction process

Anti-patterns:

• Builder methods that mutate the built object after build() — freeze the result
• Builders with required fields that can only be caught at runtime — consider marking with the type system or throwing at build()
• Directors that mix construction logic with business logic — keep Directors thin

TypeScript step builder (enforce required fields at compile time):

// Forces callers to provide required fields before optional ones
interface NeedsTable {
  from(table: string): NeedsCondition;
}
interface NeedsCondition {
  where(cond: string): NeedsCondition;
  build(): string;
  limit(n: number): NeedsCondition;
}

class TypeSafeQueryBuilder implements NeedsTable, NeedsCondition {
  private table = '';
  private conditions: string[] = [];
  private limitVal?: number;

  from(table: string): NeedsCondition {
    this.table = table;
    return this;
  }
  where(cond: string): NeedsCondition {
    this.conditions.push(cond);
    return this;
  }
  limit(n: number): NeedsCondition {
    this.limitVal = n;
    return this;
  }
  build(): string {
    return `SELECT * FROM ${this.table} WHERE ${this.conditions.join(' AND ')}`;
  }

  static create(): NeedsTable {
    return new TypeSafeQueryBuilder();
  }
}

// Compile error if you skip from()
const q = TypeSafeQueryBuilder.create().from('users').where('active = true').build();

Source

refactoring.guru/design-patterns/builder

Process

1. Read the instructions and examples in this document.
2. Apply the patterns to your implementation, adapting to your specific context.
3. Verify your implementation against the details and edge cases listed above.

Harness Integration

• Type: knowledge — this skill is a reference document, not a procedural workflow.
• No tools or state — consumed as context by other skills and agents.

Success Criteria

• The patterns described in this document are applied correctly in the implementation.
• Edge cases and anti-patterns listed in this document are avoided.