| Software Design Patterns, What's that ? | In "Understanding and Using Patterns in Software Development", Dirk Riehle and Heinz Zullighoven give a nice definition of the term "pattern" which is very broadly applicable: A pattern is the abstraction from a concrete form which keeps recurring in specific non-arbitrary contexts. The above authors point out that, within the software patterns community, the notion of a pattern is "geared toward solving problems in design." More specifically, the concrete form which recurs is that of a solution to a recurring problem. But a pattern is more than just a battle-proven solution to a recurring problem. The problem occurs within a certain context, and in the presence of numerous competing concerns. The proposed solution involves some kind of structure which balances these concerns, or "forces", in the manner most appropriate for the given context. Using the pattern form, the description of the solution tries to capture the essential insight which it embodies, so that others may learn from it, and make use of it in similar situations. The pattern is also given a name, which serves as a conceptual handle, to facilitate discussing the pattern and the jewel of information it represents. So a definition which more closely reflects its use within the patterns community is: A pattern is a named nugget of instructive information that captures the essential structure and insight of a successful family of proven solutions to a recurring problem that arises within a certain context and system of forces. A slightly more compact definition which might be easier to remember is: A pattern is a named nugget of insight that conveys the essence of a proven solution to a recurring problem within a certain context amidst competing concerns. Patterns are usually concerned with some kind of architecture or organization of constituent parts to produce a greater whole. Richard Gabriel, author of Patterns of Software: Tales From the Software Community, provides a clear and concise definition of the term pattern in the Patterns Definitions section of the Patterns Home Page: Each pattern is a three-part rule, which expresses a relation between a certain context, a certain system of forces which occurs repeatedly in that context, and a certain software configuration which allows these forces to resolve themselves. As Gabriel explains, Alexander describes it a bit more colorfully in [TTWoB]: Each pattern is a three-part rule, which expresses a relation between a certain context, a problem, and a solution.
As an element in the world, each pattern is a relationship between a certain context, a certain system of forces which occurs repeatedly in that context, and a certain spatial configuration which allows these forces to resolve themselves.
As an element of language, a pattern is an instruction, which shows how this spatial configuration can be used, over and over again, to resolve the given system of forces, wherever the context makes it relevant. The pattern is, in short, at the same time a thing, which happens in the world, and the rule which tells us how to create that thing, and when we must create it. It is both a process and a thing; both a description of a thing which is alive, and a description of the process which will generate that thing (p. 247). In Software Patterns, esteemed "patternite" Jim Coplien writes: I like to relate this definition to dress patterns. I could tell you how to make a dress by specifying the route of a scissors through a piece of cloth in terms of angles and lengths of cut. Or, I could give you a pattern. Reading the specification, you would have no idea what was being built or if you had built the right thing when you were finished. The pattern foreshadows the product: it is the rule for making the thing, but it is also, in many respects, the thing itself. So we see that a pattern involves a general description of a recurring solution to a recurring problem replete with various goals and constraints. But a pattern does more than just identify a solution, it also explains why the solution is needed! Patterns for software development are one of the latest "hot topics" to emerge from the object-oriented community. They are a literary form of software engineering problem-solving discipline that has its roots in a design movement of the same name in contemporary architecture, literate programming, and the documentation of best practices and lessons learned in all vocations.
Fundamental to any science or engineering discipline is a common vocabulary for expressing its concepts, and a language for relating them together. The goal of patterns within the software community is to create a body of literature to help software developers resolve recurring problems encountered throughout all of software development. Patterns help create a shared language for communicating insight and experience about these problems and their solutions. Formally codifying these solutions and their relationships lets us successfully capture the body of knowledge which defines our understanding of good architectures that meet the needs of their users. Forming a common pattern language for conveying the structures and mechanisms of our architectures allows us to intelligibly reason about them. The primary focus is not so much on technology as it is on creating a culture to document and support sound engineering architecture and design.
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