Welcome back, Space Explorer! This lesson is the first step in our "Applying Design Patterns for Real-World Problems using Scala" course, in which we showcase real-world applications of the design patterns you've learned about in the previous courses in this path. In this first unit, we will delve into using the Factory Method and the Adapter patterns, demonstrating their power by creating and adapting smart home devices. By mastering these patterns, your smart home system will become more efficient, modular, and easier to maintain. Let’s get started!

Thinking through the design before coding is crucial as it lays a solid foundation, ensuring that code is more robust, efficient, and easier to maintain. Hence, let's begin by discussing how we plan to incorporate these two design patterns in our Smart Home scenario:

1. Factory Method Pattern:

   • Purpose: Encapsulates the creation of objects, allowing new types to be introduced with minimal changes to existing code.
   • Steps:
     • Define a trait (SmartDevice).
     • Create specific device classes (Thermostat, Light) implementing the trait.
     • Implement factory classes (ThermostatFactory, LightFactory) to generate instances of these devices.