confused with Design patterns

[Saraswathy Krishnamoorth]

What is the difference between Factory pattern and Factory method pattern.
Example: 1
A class has a method getObject( String type).
This method returns one of the subclasses based on the type. Is this a Factory pattern or Factory method pattern.
Example 2:
A class has a method getObject(). A is an interface and b and c implement A.
This method returns objects of the subclass(b). Is this a Factory pattern or Factory method pattern.
I am not able to identify the patterns for the above examples. Please clarify.

[Mark Spritzler]

I didn't know that there was two different patterns like that.
Now there are two Factory patterns, but they are called Factory and Abstract Factory. One is concrete and the other is really a Factory interface, meaning the subclasses of this Factory implements which classes to return when the interface is implemented.
In the regular Factory pattern, it already knows which type of classes it will return.
You will us the Factory and not the Abstract Factory patterns.
Example one to me looks like the Factory pattern, where Example two looks like it is trying to explain the Abstract Factory pattern.
Mark

[Saraswathy Krishnamoorth]

Thanks Mark. The following link discuss about the Factory Method Pattern.1. Factory Method Pattern
According to this, does example 1 fall under factory method pattern. Please clarify. I am confused.
2.
Factory method
[ April 24, 2003: Message edited by: Saraswathy Krishnamoorth ]
[ April 24, 2003: Message edited by: Saraswathy Krishnamoorth ]

[Mark Spritzler]

Again an Abstract Factory, is one that is really just the interface of a Factory class.
The other is the implemented Factory.
For example
Abstract Factory

public interface AbstractConnectionFactory{
    public Connection getConnection(String mode);
}

As you can see in the above there is no actual implementation of this interface.
Now the Factory/FactoryMethod pattern is an actual implementation.

public interface ConnectionFactory{
    public Connection getConnection(String mode){
        if(mode.equals("LOCAL"){
            return new LocalConnection();
        } else {
            return new RemoteConnection();
        }
    }
}

Hope that clears it up for you.
Mark
[ April 26, 2003: Message edited by: Mark Spritzler ]

[Saraswathy Krishnamoorth]

Thanks Mark.

[Barry Gaunt]

public interface AbstractConnectionFactory{
    public Connection getConnection(String mode){
        if(mode.equals("LOCAL"){
            return new LocalConnection();
        } else {
            return new RemoteConnection();
        }
    }
}

Can't be an interface, got implementation.

[Mark Spritzler]

er sorry, I meant to change the name of that class. I will do that now.
Mark