Singleton pattern

In object-oriented programming, the singleton pattern is a software design pattern that restricts the instantiation of a class to a singular instance. It is one of the well-known "Gang of Four" design patterns, which describe how to solve recurring problems in object-oriented software. The pattern is useful when exactly one object is needed to coordinate actions across a system.

More specifically, the singleton pattern allows classes to:

  • Ensure they only have one instance
  • Provide easy access to that instance
  • Control their instantiation (for example, hiding the constructors of a class)

The term comes from the mathematical concept of a singleton.

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