Creational Design Patterns in Modern C++ - Introduction - focuses on the factory method, its intent, and its structure

The video tutorial explains the factory method design pattern, a common pattern used in various applications, especially frameworks and libraries. It highlights the limitations of using the 'new' operator for object creation, such as tight coupling and inflexibility. The factory method offers a flexible alternative by allowing subclasses to decide which class to instantiate, acting as a virtual constructor. The tutorial covers the intent, structure, and implementation of the pattern, emphasizing its ability to defer instantiation to subclasses, thus providing flexibility and reducing code modification. The video concludes with a preview of the next lecture, which will involve coding the factory method.

In what scenarios would you prefer to use a factory method instead of directly instantiating classes?

How does the factory method allow subclasses to decide which class to instantiate?

What is meant by the term 'virtual constructor' in the context of the factory method?