proxy

The Proxy Pattern provides a surrogate or placeholder for another object to control access to it.

In Chapter 11 of HFDP Book, extensive Java specific implementations are covered. And our code is mainly based on wikipedia. The key point: proxy object and real object implement the same trait.

Use the Proxy Pattern to create a representative object that controls access to another object, which may be remote, expensive to create, or in need of securing.

Sometimes Proxy and Decorator look very similar, but their purposes are different: a decorator adds behavior to a class, while a proxy controls access to it.