Question

Is it possible to optimize this kind of (matrix) algorithm:

//        | case 1 | case 2 | case 3 |
//  ------|--------|--------|--------|
//        |        |        |        |
//  case a|   a1   |   a2   |   a3   |
//        |        |        |        |
//  case b|   b1   |   b2   |   b3   |
//        |        |        |        |
//  case c|   c1   |   c2   |   c3   |
//        |        |        |        |

switch (var)
    {
      case 1:
      switch (subvar)
      {
        case a:
          process a1;
        case b:
          process b1;    
        case c:
          process c1;
      }
      case 2:
      switch (subvar)
      {
        case a:
          process a2;
        case b:
          process b2;    
        case c:
          process c2;
      }
      case 3:
      switch (subvar)
      {
        case a:
          process a3;
        case b:
          process b3;    
        case c:
          process c3;
      }
    }

The code is fairly simple but you have to imagine more complex with more “switch / case”.

I work with 3 variables. According they take the values 1, 2, 3 or a, b, c or alpha, beta, charlie have different processes to achieve. Is it possible to optimize it any other way than through a series of “switch / case?

(Question already asked in french here).

Edit: (from Dran Dane’s responses to comments below. These might as well be in this more prominent place!)
“optimize” is to be understood in terms of having to write less code, fewer “switch / case”. The idea is to improve readability, maintainability, not performance.

There is maybe a way to write less code via a “Chain of Responsibility” but this solution is not optimal on all points, because it requires the creation of many objects in memory.

Answer 1

Solution from developpez.com
Yes, you can optimize it and make it so much cleaner. You can not use such a “Chain of
Responsibility” with a Factory:

public class ProcessFactory {
    private ArrayList<Process> processses = null;

    public ProcessFactory(){
        super();

        processses = new ArrayList<Process>();

        processses.add(new ProcessC1());
        processses.add(new ProcessC2());
        processses.add(new ProcessC3());
        processses.add(new ProcessC4());                    
        processses.add(new ProcessC5(6));                   
        processses.add(new ProcessC5(22));
    }

    public Process getProcess(int var, int subvar){
        for(Process process : processses){
            if(process.canDo(var, subvar)){
                return process;
            }
        }

        return null;
    }
}

Then just as your processes implement an interface process with canXXX you can easily use:

new ProcessFactory().getProcess(var,subvar).launch();