Browse Clojure Foundations for Java Developers

Handling Design Patterns

Reinterpret common OO patterns as simpler functional building blocks: functions, data, and composition.

Patterns still matter after you move to Clojure—what changes is the implementation shape. Many GoF patterns become a few lines of code once you have first-class functions and immutable data.

This section shows how to translate intent: Strategy becomes passing a function, Decorator becomes function wrapping/middleware, Builder becomes assembling a map, and Factory often becomes data-driven construction.

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Revised on Friday, April 24, 2026