Software Development
Design Patterns
Definition
In software engineering, a design pattern is a general, reusable solution to a commonly occurring problem within a given context in software design. It is not a finished design that can be transformed directly into source or machine code.
Why It Matters
Design patterns provide a shared vocabulary and a set of proven solutions for common problems. Instead of reinventing the wheel, developers can use a well-known pattern, which makes the code easier to understand for others who are familiar with the pattern.
Contextual Example
The "Singleton" pattern ensures that a class has only one instance and provides a global point of access to it. This is useful for things like a logging service or a database connection pool, where you only want one instance managing the resource.
Common Misunderstandings
- Design patterns are not specific to any programming language.
- The famous book "Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software" (by the "Gang of Four") is the canonical reference for this topic.