singleton etymology

Etymology

The word "singleton" originated in the 1960s from the phrase "single element object," coined by computer scientist Ralph Johnson.

Meaning

A singleton is a class or object that can have only one instance in a program or system. It ensures that the class or object remains unique throughout the execution.

Origin

The concept of singletons arose from the need for certain classes to have only a single instance. For example, a class representing a database connection should only have one instance, as multiple instances would lead to inconsistencies and data corruption.

How Singletons Work

Singletons typically implement a mechanism called the "Singleton Pattern." This pattern consists of the following steps:

• Create a private static variable that holds the single instance.
• Provide a public static method to access the instance, which checks if the variable is null and creates a new instance if necessary.
• Ensure that the constructor is private or protected, preventing direct instantiation of the class.

Benefits of Singletons

• Enforce uniqueness: Singletons guarantee that only one instance of a class exists.
• Provide global access: The single instance can be accessed from anywhere in the program or system.
• Simplify code: By centralizing access to a single instance, code becomes more straightforward.

Drawbacks of Singletons

• Tight coupling: Singletons create a dependency between classes, making it difficult to unit test and refactor.
• Testability: Testing singleton classes can be challenging due to their shared instance.
• Scalability: Singletons may not be suitable for highly concurrent or distributed systems, where multiple instances may be required.

Usage

Singletons are commonly used in various scenarios, such as:

• Database connections
• Logging systems
• Configuration managers
• Event managers

singleton relate terms

• simple

  Etymology is the study of the origin and history of words It can be used to trace the evo

• single

  Etymology Old English singel from Proto Germanic singlaz ultimately from Proto In

• single

  Etymology Old English singel from Proto Germanic singlaz ultimately from Proto In

• single

  Etymology Old English singel from Proto Germanic singlaz ultimately from Proto In

• singleton

  Etymology The word singleton originated in the 1960s from the phrase single element ob

• gallery

  Etymology Latin galeria covered walkway Greek γαλέρωμα galērōma hoo

• strategy

  Etymology The word strategy comes from the Greek word strategia which means the a

• forget

  Forget Etymology Old English forgietan from Proto Germanic for getan to forget neg

• covenant

  Etymology The word covenant is derived from the Old French word covenant which in t

• mayhem

  Etymology Old French meshaigner Latin machamer to cut mangle injure Meaning

• answer

  Etymology Meaning A response to a question or request Origin The word answer come

• cherub

  Etymology The word cherub comes from the Hebrew word כרֻב keruḇ meaning a cr