Handler Pattern Design

Use this skill when creating new manufacturer handlers or refactoring existing ones. This skill codifies proven patterns, anti-patterns, and best practices from 67 production handlers.

Core Patterns

1. Set.of() vs HashSet in getSupportedTypes()

Pattern: Always use immutable Set.of() instead of mutable HashSet.

Why: Immutable collections prevent accidental modification and are more efficient.

// ✅ CORRECT: Use Set.of()
@Override
public Set<ComponentType> getSupportedTypes() {
    return Set.of(
        ComponentType.MICROCONTROLLER,
        ComponentType.MICROCONTROLLER_ST,
        ComponentType.MOSFET,
        ComponentType.MOSFET_ST,
        ComponentType.VOLTAGE_REGULATOR
    );
}

// ❌ WRONG: Don't use HashSet
@Override
public Set<ComponentType> getSupportedTypes() {
    Set<ComponentType> types = new HashSet<>();
    types.add(ComponentType.MICROCONTROLLER);
    types.add(ComponentType.MOSFET);
    return types;  // Mutable set can be modified!
}

Technical debt: 34 handlers still use HashSet and need migration to Set.of().

2. Dual Type Registration (Base + Manufacturer-Specific)

Pattern: Register patterns for BOTH the base type AND the manufacturer-specific type.

Why: Users may search for either generic "MOSFET" or specific "MOSFET_INFINEON". Both must work.

@Override
public void initializePatterns(PatternRegistry registry) {
    // ✅ CORRECT: Register both base and specific types
    registry.addPattern(ComponentType.MOSFET, "^IRF[0-9]+.*");        // Base type
    registry.addPattern(ComponentType.MOSFET_INFINEON, "^IRF[0-9]+.*"); // Specific type

    registry.addPattern(ComponentType.OPAMP, "^LM358.*");
    registry.addPattern(ComponentType.OPAMP_TI, "^LM358.*");
}

// ❌ WRONG: Only registering manufacturer-specific type
registry.addPattern(ComponentType.MOSFET_INFINEON, "^IRF[0-9]+.*");
// Users searching for ComponentType.MOSFET will get 0 results!

TIHandler example (lines 366-376):

for (Map.Entry<String, ComponentSeriesInfo> entry : COMPONENT_SERIES.entrySet()) {
    ComponentSeriesInfo info = entry.getValue();
    // Register primary type
    registry.addPattern(info.primaryType, info.pattern);
    // Register base component type
    registry.addPattern(info.primaryType.getBaseType(), info.pattern);
    // Register additional types if any
    for (ComponentType additionalType : info.additionalTypes) {
        registry.addPattern(additionalType, info.pattern);
    }
}

3. matches() Override Strategy: matchesForCurrentHandler() NOT getPattern()

Pattern: Use

matchesForCurrentHandler()

Why: Using

patterns.matches()

patterns.getPattern()

@Override
public boolean matches(String mpn, ComponentType type, PatternRegistry patterns) {
    if (mpn == null || type == null) return false;

    String upperMpn = mpn.toUpperCase();

    // 1. Do specific checks for your manufacturer first
    if (upperMpn.startsWith("STM32")) {
        return type == ComponentType.MICROCONTROLLER || type == ComponentType.MICROCONTROLLER_ST;
    }

    // 2. ✅ CORRECT: Use matchesForCurrentHandler() for fallback
    return patterns.matchesForCurrentHandler(upperMpn, type);

    // 3. ❌ WRONG: Don't use patterns.matches() - searches ALL handlers!
    // return patterns.matches(upperMpn, type);  // Cross-handler contamination!
}

NXPHandler example (line 180):

// Use handler-specific patterns for other matches (avoid cross-handler false matches)
return patterns.matchesForCurrentHandler(upperMpn, type);

Critical bug example (PR #89): AtmelHandler used

patterns.matches()

MICROCONTROLLER

4. extractPackageCode() with Normalization

Pattern: Always normalize MPN to uppercase BEFORE position-based extraction.

Why: Position-based extraction with charAt() breaks if hyphens or special chars are present. MPN normalization (via

MPNUtils.normalize()

@Override
public String extractPackageCode(String mpn) {
    if (mpn == null || mpn.isEmpty()) return "";

    // ✅ CORRECT: Normalize to uppercase first
    String upperMpn = mpn.toUpperCase();

    // STM32F103C8T6 → package is second-to-last char
    if (upperMpn.startsWith("STM32") && upperMpn.length() >= 2) {
        char packageChar = upperMpn.charAt(upperMpn.length() - 2);  // 'T'
        return switch (packageChar) {
            case 'T' -> "LQFP";
            case 'H' -> "BGA";
            case 'U' -> "VFQFPN";
            default -> String.valueOf(packageChar);
        };
    }

    // ❌ WRONG: Using mpn directly without normalization
    // char packageChar = mpn.charAt(mpn.length() - 2);  // Fails if mpn is lowercase!

    return "";
}

AbstractManufacturerHandler helpers (lines 66-94):

// Use centralized PackageCodeRegistry
protected String extractPackageCode(String mpn) {
    if (mpn == null || mpn.isEmpty()) return "";

    String upperMpn = mpn.toUpperCase();

    // Try hyphen-separated suffix first (e.g., "ATMEGA328P-PU" -> "PU")
    String suffix = extractSuffixAfterHyphen(upperMpn);
    if (!suffix.isEmpty() && PackageCodeRegistry.isKnownCode(suffix)) {
        return PackageCodeRegistry.resolve(suffix);
    }

    // Try common suffix patterns at end of MPN
    suffix = extractTrailingSuffix(upperMpn);
    if (!suffix.isEmpty() && PackageCodeRegistry.isKnownCode(suffix)) {
        return PackageCodeRegistry.resolve(suffix);
    }

    return "";
}

TIHandler override (lines 436-467): Overrides for manufacturer-specific package extraction but still calls helper methods.

5. extractSeries() Pattern Ordering: Specific Before Generic

Pattern: Check longer/more specific patterns BEFORE shorter/generic patterns.

Why: Prevents false matches. "MPXV5010" should match "MPXV" series, not "MPX" series.

@Override
public String extractSeries(String mpn) {
    if (mpn == null || mpn.isEmpty()) return "";
    String upperMpn = mpn.toUpperCase();

    // ✅ CORRECT: Check specific prefixes first, then generic
    if (upperMpn.startsWith("MPXV")) return "MPXV Pressure Sensor";  // Specific
    if (upperMpn.startsWith("MPXA")) return "MPXA Pressure Sensor";  // Specific
    if (upperMpn.startsWith("MPX")) return "MPX Pressure Sensor";    // Generic last

    // ❌ WRONG: Generic first - "MPXV5010" would incorrectly return "MPX"
    // if (upperMpn.startsWith("MPX")) return "MPX Pressure Sensor";
    // if (upperMpn.startsWith("MPXV")) return "MPXV Pressure Sensor";

    return "";
}

NXPHandler example (lines 355-358):

// Sensors - CHECK SPECIFIC PREFIXES FIRST!
if (upperMpn.startsWith("MPXV")) return "MPXV Pressure Sensor";
if (upperMpn.startsWith("MPXA")) return "MPXA Pressure Sensor";
if (upperMpn.startsWith("MPX")) return "MPX Pressure Sensor";  // Generic last

AbstractManufacturerHandler helper (lines 135-153):

@Override
public String extractSeries(String mpn) {
    if (mpn == null || mpn.isEmpty()) return "";

    String upperMpn = mpn.toUpperCase();

    // Default: extract prefix + first numeric sequence
    int firstDigit = findFirstDigitIndex(upperMpn, 0);
    if (firstDigit < 0) {
        return upperMpn; // No digits, return whole thing
    }

    int endOfDigits = firstDigit;
    while (endOfDigits < upperMpn.length() && Character.isDigit(upperMpn.charAt(endOfDigits))) {
        endOfDigits++;
    }

    return upperMpn.substring(0, endOfDigits);
}

Handler Testing Strategy

Test File Naming and Package Placement

CRITICAL: Test files MUST NOT be in the

manufacturers

Why: Test-classes directory shadows main-classes directory. If handler tests are in

no.cantara.electronic.component.lib.manufacturers

ManufacturerHandlerFactory

✅ CORRECT Package:
no.cantara.electronic.component.lib.handlers
  └── TIHandlerTest.java
  └── STHandlerTest.java
  └── NXPHandlerTest.java

❌ WRONG Package (NEVER DO THIS):
no.cantara.electronic.component.lib.manufacturers
  └── TIHandlerTest.java  // CLASSPATH SHADOWING - breaks ManufacturerHandlerFactory!

Test file structure:

package no.cantara.electronic.component.lib.handlers;  // ✅ handlers, not manufacturers

import no.cantara.electronic.component.lib.manufacturers.TIHandler;  // Import handler from manufacturers package
import org.junit.jupiter.api.*;

class TIHandlerTest {
    private static TIHandler handler;
    private static PatternRegistry registry;

    @BeforeAll
    static void setUp() {
        handler = new TIHandler();  // Direct instantiation
        registry = new PatternRegistry();
        handler.initializePatterns(registry);
    }
}

Circular Initialization Prevention

Problem: ComponentType ↔ ComponentManufacturer ↔ Handler circular dependency can cause

ExceptionInInitializerError

Solution: Use direct instantiation in @BeforeAll.

@BeforeAll
static void setUp() {
    // ✅ CORRECT: Direct instantiation - simple and avoids circular dependency
    handler = new TIHandler();
    registry = new PatternRegistry();
    handler.initializePatterns(registry);
}

// ❌ WRONG: Using MPNUtils lookup triggers ComponentManufacturer loading
// handler = (TIHandler) MPNUtils.getManufacturerHandler("LM358");
// This can cause ExceptionInInitializerError if ComponentManufacturer enum isn't loaded yet

Alternative (if direct instantiation fails): Use

MPNUtils.getManufacturerHandler("MPN")

Test isolation gotcha: Running a single handler test may fail while full suite passes. This is due to class loading order - other tests initialize classes first. If single test fails with initialization errors, run full suite to verify.

Nested Test Classes with @DisplayName

Pattern: Group related tests with nested classes for better organization.

class TIHandlerTest {

    @Nested
    @DisplayName("Op-Amp Detection")
    class OpAmpTests {

        @ParameterizedTest
        @DisplayName("Should detect LM358 variants as OPAMP_TI")
        @ValueSource(strings = {"LM358", "LM358N", "LM358D", "LM358PW"})
        void shouldDetectLM358Variants(String mpn) {
            assertTrue(handler.matches(mpn, ComponentType.OPAMP_TI, registry));
            assertTrue(handler.matches(mpn, ComponentType.OPAMP, registry));
        }
    }

    @Nested
    @DisplayName("Voltage Regulator Detection")
    class VoltageRegulatorTests {

        @ParameterizedTest
        @CsvSource({
            "LM7805, VOLTAGE_REGULATOR_LINEAR_TI",
            "LM7812, VOLTAGE_REGULATOR_LINEAR_TI",
            "UA7805, VOLTAGE_REGULATOR_LINEAR_TI"
        })
        void shouldDetect78xxRegulators(String mpn, String expectedType) {
            ComponentType type = ComponentType.valueOf(expectedType);
            assertTrue(handler.matches(mpn, type, registry));
        }
    }

    @Nested
    @DisplayName("Package Code Extraction")
    class PackageCodeTests {
        // ...
    }
}

Benefits:

• Clear test organization matching handler functionality
• Easy to navigate test results
• Logical grouping of related test cases

ParameterizedTest Examples

Pattern: Use @ParameterizedTest for testing multiple MPNs with same logic.

// Simple list of MPNs
@ParameterizedTest
@ValueSource(strings = {"LM358", "LM358N", "LM358D", "LM358PW"})
void shouldDetectLM358Variants(String mpn) {
    assertTrue(handler.matches(mpn, ComponentType.OPAMP_TI, registry));
}

// MPN + expected result pairs
@ParameterizedTest
@CsvSource({
    "LM7805CT, TO-220",
    "LM7805DT, SOT-223",
    "LM7805KC, TO-252",
    "LM7805T, TO-220"
})
void shouldExtractVoltageRegulatorPackages(String mpn, String expectedPackage) {
    assertEquals(expectedPackage, handler.extractPackageCode(mpn));
}

// MPN + multiple expected values
@ParameterizedTest
@CsvSource({
    "LM7805, VOLTAGE_REGULATOR_LINEAR_TI",
    "LM7812, VOLTAGE_REGULATOR_LINEAR_TI",
    "UA7805, VOLTAGE_REGULATOR_LINEAR_TI"
})
void shouldDetect78xxRegulators(String mpn, String expectedType) {
    ComponentType type = ComponentType.valueOf(expectedType);
    assertTrue(handler.matches(mpn, type, registry));
}

Handler Cleanup Checklist

When refactoring an existing handler, follow this 9-step checklist (established in PR #77):

1. Replace HashSet with Set.of() in getSupportedTypes()

Before:

Set<ComponentType> types = new HashSet<>();
types.add(ComponentType.MOSFET);
return types;

After:

return Set.of(ComponentType.MOSFET, ComponentType.MOSFET_INFINEON);

2. Migrate local package code maps to PackageCodeRegistry

Before:

private static final Map<String, String> PACKAGE_CODES = Map.of(
    "CT", "TO-220",
    "DT", "SOT-223"
);

After:

// Use centralized PackageCodeRegistry.resolve("CT") → "TO-220"
// Add new codes to PackageCodeRegistry if missing

3. Remove unused enums and methods

• Delete

  ComponentType

  enum duplicates (use main ComponentType enum)
• Delete unused helper methods
• Delete commented-out code

4. Check suffix ordering (longer before shorter)

// ✅ CORRECT: Check "DT" before "T"
if (upperMpn.endsWith("DT")) return "SOT-223";
if (upperMpn.endsWith("CT")) return "TO-220";
if (upperMpn.endsWith("T")) return "TO-220";

// ❌ WRONG: "T" matches first, never checks "DT" or "CT"
if (upperMpn.endsWith("T")) return "TO-220";
if (upperMpn.endsWith("DT")) return "SOT-223";  // Never reached!

5. Use matchesForCurrentHandler() instead of matches()

// ✅ CORRECT
return patterns.matchesForCurrentHandler(upperMpn, type);

// ❌ WRONG: Searches all handlers' patterns
return patterns.matches(upperMpn, type);

6. Add comprehensive tests with nested classes

• Use TIHandlerTest, STHandlerTest, NXPHandlerTest as templates
• Organize with @Nested classes
• Use @ParameterizedTest for multiple MPNs

7. Verify dual type registration (base + specific)

registry.addPattern(ComponentType.MOSFET, "^IRF.*");
registry.addPattern(ComponentType.MOSFET_INFINEON, "^IRF.*");

8. Update getSupportedTypes() to include ALL registered types

If you register patterns for

VOLTAGE_REGULATOR_LINEAR_TI

getSupportedTypes()

9. Run full test suite to verify no regressions

mvn test -Dtest=TIHandlerTest        # Single handler test
mvn test -Dtest=*HandlerTest         # All handler tests
mvn test                             # Full suite

Common Anti-Patterns

Set.of(...)

patterns.matchesForCurrentHandler()

String upperMpn = mpn.toUpperCase()

handlers

manufacturers

startsWith()

Handler Examples

Simple Handlers (~100 lines)

AVXHandler: Ceramic capacitor manufacturer, simple prefix patterns.

• Pattern:

  ^08[0-9]{4}.*

  (0805 ceramic),

  ^12[0-9]{4}.*

  (1206 ceramic)
• Package extraction: Read positions 2-3 after prefix for size code
• Use as template for: Simple component manufacturers with predictable MPN structure

TEHandler: TE Connectivity connectors.

• Pattern: Connector part numbers with simple prefix matching
• Use as template for: Connector manufacturers

Medium Complexity Handlers (~200-300 lines)

TIHandler: Texas Instruments (628 lines, but well-structured).

• Handles: Op-amps, voltage regulators, temperature sensors, LEDs
• Complex series mapping with ComponentSeriesInfo class
• Suffix ordering critical: LM7805CT → "DT" before "T"
• Distinguishes LM35 (temp sensor) from LM358 (op-amp)
• Use as template for: Multi-product-line manufacturers

STHandler: STMicroelectronics (240 lines).

• Handles: STM32/STM8 microcontrollers, MOSFETs, voltage regulators
• Package extraction from position (STM32F103C8T6 → 'T' = LQFP)
• Prefix-based series detection
• Use as template for: Microcontroller manufacturers

NXPHandler: NXP Semiconductors (393 lines).

• Handles: LPC/Kinetis/i.MX MCUs, memory, MOSFETs, transistors, sensors
• Complex package extraction with position tracking
• Specific prefix ordering (MPXV → MPXA → MPX)
• Uses

  matchesForCurrentHandler()

  correctly
• Use as template for: Diversified semiconductor manufacturers

Complex Handlers (~400+ lines)

InfineonHandler: Infineon Technologies.

• Handles: IRF/IRFP/BSC MOSFETs, XMC microcontrollers, OptiMOS
• Complex series extraction with subfamily detection
• Multiple product lines with different MPN structures
• Use as template for: Power semiconductor manufacturers with multiple families

MicrochipHandler: Microchip Technology.

• Handles: PIC/dsPIC/AVR/SAM microcontrollers
• Merged Atmel product lines (AVR, ATmega, ATtiny)
• Complex package suffix decoding (-PU, -AU, /SS, /ML)
• Use as template for: Manufacturers with merged product portfolios

Learnings & Quirks

Handler Ordering Matters

ManufacturerHandlerFactory

TreeSet

getManufacturerHandler()

ComponentType.getBaseType() Completeness

All manufacturer-specific types MUST be in the switch statement. Missing types fall through to

default -> this

Pattern Specificity Scoring

MPNUtils.getComponentType()

• Manufacturer-specific (OPAMP_TI): 150 points
• Base type (OPAMP): 100 points
• Category (ANALOG_IC): 50 points
• Generic (IC): -50 points

Without scoring, HashSet iteration could return IC instead of OPAMP_TI.

AbstractManufacturerHandler Benefits

• Centralized package code resolution via

  PackageCodeRegistry

• Common helper methods:

  extractSuffixAfterHyphen()

  ,

  findFirstDigitIndex()

  , etc.
• Default

  isOfficialReplacement()

  implementation
• Reduces code duplication across handlers

See Also

• /component

  - Base skill for general component work

• /architecture

  - Refactoring and cleanup guidance

• /mpn-normalization

  - MPN suffix handling and normalization

• AbstractManufacturerHandler.java

  - Base class with helper methods

• TIHandlerTest.java

  ,

  STHandlerTest.java

  ,

  NXPHandlerTest.java

  - Test templates