Why do we need decoration?

[mint burrow]

Couldn't we just use a list of extensions in the base class, then use these extensions in the method we want to call?
For example, just have a field that is a list of extensions and whenever you call a given method a foreach loop is used to call all extensions.

[gleaming wigeon]

<@&987246399047479336> please have a look, thanks.

[sonic cave]

well, you literally described decoration

except that you can't have a list of delegates

decoration works because the result of a previous step is passed into the next step

each decorator needs to have access to the previous one

[torpid flume]

Using decorators, the class using it doesn't need to know that all those decorators exist.

You still have the same interface e.g. FormattedText and using decorator UppercaseDecorator you can still pass that to any method with a FormattedText parameter

Without having to add logic to that method to loop a list of actions

[empty vessel]

because that list may consist of things that arent needed

you may decorate an object for different purposes. and not all of those decorations will be needed for every situation

so its not good to keep every possible type of decoration as a list in memory