In computer programming, lazy initialization is the tactic of delaying the creation of an object, the calculation of a value, or some other expensive process until the first time it is needed.
This is typically accomplished by maintaining a flag indicating whether the process has taken place. Each time the desired object is summoned, the flag is tested. If it is ready, it is returned. If not, it is initialized on the spot.
See lazy evaluation for a general treatment of this idea. In heavily imperative languages this pattern carries hidden dangers, as does any programming habit that relies on shared state.
Read more about Lazy Initialization: The "lazy Factory"
Famous quotes containing the word lazy:
“I wish thee peace in all thy ways,
Nor lazy nor contentious days;
And when thy soul and body part,
As innocent as now thou art.”
—Richard Corbet (1582–1635)