layout	title	folder	permalink	categories	language	tags
pattern	Marker Interface	marker	/patterns/marker/	Structural	en	Decoupling

Intent

Using empty interfaces as markers to distinguish special treated objects.

Class diagram

Applicability

Use the Marker Interface pattern when

• you want to identify the special objects from normal objects (to treat them differently)
• you want to mark that some object is available for certain sort of operations

Real world examples

• javase.8.docs.api.java.io.Serializable
• javase.8.docs.api.java.lang.Cloneable

Credits

• Effective Java