[Solved] You have an object with nested mutable fields, and you need to create a new object instance such that changes to the nested fields in the new object... Which approach best guarantees this behavior? | OOP & Design Patterns

OOP & Design Patterns - Prototype Pattern - Deep Copy vs Shallow Copy

You have an object with nested mutable fields, and you need to create a new object instance such that changes to the nested fields in the new object do not affect the original. Which approach best guarantees this behavior?

AManually copy only the top-level fields, sharing nested references to save memory

BUse a greedy algorithm to selectively copy fields based on usage frequency

CSerialize the object to JSON and deserialize it back to create a new instance

DRecursively copy all nested objects to create independent duplicates

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Understand the problem requirement
The goal is to create a new object where nested mutable fields are independent, so changes in the copy do not affect the original.
Step 2: Evaluate approaches
Manual shallow copy (A) shares nested references, causing side effects. Greedy selective copying (B) is not a standard approach and risks missing nested objects. JSON serialization (D) can lose methods and fail on special objects. Recursive deep copy (C) ensures all nested objects are duplicated, preserving independence.
Final Answer:
Option D -> Option D
Quick Check:
Deep copy duplicates nested objects -> no shared references [OK]

Quick Trick: Deep copy duplicates nested objects fully [OK]

Common Mistakes:

MISTAKES

Assuming shallow copy suffices for nested mutable fields

Trap Explanation:

PITFALL

Shallow copy looks simpler and faster but fails when nested objects are mutable and shared.

Interviewer Note:

CONTEXT

Tests if candidate understands difference between shallow and deep copy in object cloning.

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Which approach best guarantees this behavior?

Step 1: Understand the problem requirement

Step 2: Evaluate approaches

Final Answer:

Quick Check:

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