Callback style examples

/**
 * A few examples that illustrate several styles to chain four events/callbacks.
 *
 * This class compiles, but intentionally doesn't execute, because I'm skipping the
 * implementation for the Caller and Bus interfaces.
 *
 * @author Chris Lercher
 */
public class CallbackStyleExamples {

  interface Caller {
    public void call(final String arg, final Callback callback);
  }

  interface Callback {
    void onSuccess();
  }

  enum BusEvent {
    ALICE_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT,
    BOB_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT,
    CHARLIE_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT,
    DAISY_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT,
  }

  interface BusEventListener {
    void onEvent(final BusEvent busEvent);
  }

  interface Bus {
    void addEventListener(final BusEvent busEvent, final BusEventListener busEventListener);
    void fireEvent(final BusEvent busEvent);
  }

  Caller alice;
  Caller bob;
  Caller charlie;
  Caller daisy;

  Bus bus;

  private CallbackStyleExamples() { // avoid actual instantiation of this test ;)
  }

  /**
   * Nested callbacks can be very hard to read if you nest them too deeply.
   */
  public void nestedCallbacksExample() {

    alice.call("a", new Callback() {

      @Override
      public void onSuccess() {
        bob.call("b", new Callback() {

          @Override
          public void onSuccess() {
            charlie.call("c", new Callback() {

              @Override
              public void onSuccess() {
                daisy.call("d", new Callback() {

                  @Override
                  public void onSuccess() {
                    // finished
                  }

                });
              }

            });
          }

        });
      }

    });

  }

  /**
   * You can use your IDE to refactor this easily into named callbacks.
   *
   * - Problem: The control flow is not so immediately obvious anymore.
   * - Still, an IDE can help by using "Search References" (Ctrl-G in Eclipse)
   *   or something similar.
   */
  public void namedCallbacksExample() {

    final Callback daisyCallback = new Callback() {

      @Override
      public void onSuccess() {
        // finished
      }
    };

    final Callback charlieCallback = new Callback() {

      @Override
      public void onSuccess() {
        daisy.call("d", daisyCallback);
      }
    };

    final Callback bobCallback = new Callback() {

      @Override
      public void onSuccess() {
        charlie.call("c", charlieCallback);
      }
    };

    final Callback aliceCallback = new Callback() {

      @Override
      public void onSuccess() {
        bob.call("b", bobCallback);
      }
    };

    alice.call("a", aliceCallback);
  }

  /**
   * This is how it looks when using an event bus (or Observer/Publish-Subscribe pattern).
   *
   * - Under the right circumstances (when it's very clear what each event means, and
   *   if you don't have too many), this pattern can make things very nice and clear.
   * - But in other cases, it can make the control flow more confusing (and you easily get twice the lines of code).
   * - It's harder to use your IDE to find out about the control flow.
   * - The GWT History mechanism is a very positive example for where to use this technique reasonably.
   */
  public void eventBusExample() {

    alice.call("a", new Callback() {

      @Override
      public void onSuccess() {
        bus.fireEvent(BusEvent.ALICE_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT);
      }
    });

    bus.addEventListener(BusEvent.ALICE_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT, new BusEventListener() {

      @Override
      public void onEvent(final BusEvent busEvent) {
        bob.call("b", new Callback() {

          @Override
          public void onSuccess() {
            bus.fireEvent(BusEvent.BOB_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT);
          }
        });

      }
    });

    bus.addEventListener(BusEvent.BOB_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT, new BusEventListener() {

      @Override
      public void onEvent(final BusEvent busEvent) {
        charlie.call("c", new Callback() {

          @Override
          public void onSuccess() {
            bus.fireEvent(BusEvent.CHARLIE_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT);
          }
        });

      }
    });

    bus.addEventListener(BusEvent.CHARLIE_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT, new BusEventListener() {

      @Override
      public void onEvent(final BusEvent busEvent) {
        daisy.call("d", new Callback() {

          @Override
          public void onSuccess() {
            bus.fireEvent(BusEvent.DAISY_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT);
          }
        });

      }
    });

    bus.addEventListener(BusEvent.DAISY_SUCCESSFUL_EVENT, new BusEventListener() {

      @Override
      public void onEvent(final BusEvent busEvent) {
        // finished
      }
    });
  }

  /**
   * In my experience, it's often a good idea to "divide and conquer"
   * by mixing nesting and named callbacks.
   *
   * Depending on the situation, two nested callbacks are often still
   * readable, and they reduce jumping around between methods when
   * reading the code by 50%.
   */
  public void mixedExample() {

    final Callback charlieCallback = new Callback() {

      @Override
      public void onSuccess() {

        daisy.call("d", new Callback() {

          @Override
          public void onSuccess() {
            // finished
          }
        });
      }
    };

    alice.call("a", new Callback() {

      @Override
      public void onSuccess() {

        bob.call("b", new Callback() {

          @Override
          public void onSuccess() {

            charlie.call("c", charlieCallback);
          }
        });
      }
    });
  }
}