What are the best resources for design patterns and their uses? [closed]

Answer 1

There are lots of different 'pattern' families out there, but taking your question its broadest terms...

I'd recommend:

• Jim Coplien's Organisational Patterns
• The Hillside Group wiki
• Kevlin Henney's site has plenty of excellent links & papers

Offline (my favourites):

• Fowler's Patterns of Enterprise Architecture
• Feather's Working Effectively with Legacy Code

Offline (popular):

• GoF Design Patterns
• Fowler's Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code

Answer 2

The use of "pattern" depends to a high degree from

1. the language used
2. goals one like to achive.

Design pattern can be named overrated in languages like C++, Java and the like. They hide the inflexibility introduces with all kinds of typing issues. Here's a link on what pattern "survive" in less restrictive languages: http://norvig.com/design-patterns/

Another example is the aspect oriented programmming, in which with might effort things are "introduced" in a language not "designed" for it.

The philosophy behind the used tools has a big influence also. Just compare let's say average PHP or Visual Basic programs and solutions in Smalltalk, Common Lisp,Haskell and the like.

The syntax elements have a big impact also. You'll see tons of similar loops let's say in C, C++ (iterators) but if you'd look into languags which support for higher order functions you'll just find a few loops.

You then have to see which way people do access programming, bottom up or top down, piecemeal growth or building pyramides, or any other individual preferences

I suggest reading the mentioned link, and then check implementations in "different" languages....

Regards Friedrich

Answer 3

Design patterns are funny in that you only know where to use a pattern when you fully understand the applicable pattern. Things like Strategy, Observer, Iterator you can, aftera little practice, use without thinking too hard. If you're in C# you use the Iterator all the time (IEnumerable...) without thinking of it as a pattern.

In my opinion, these simple patterns are the best patterns. You've already got a job to do, and trying to shoehorn your problem into one pattern after another when it doesn't quite fit is a waste of your time, and results in bad code.

My advice is to look at the uml diagrams for a pattern, and if it's fairly simple, then try and learn it well enough that you can recall it later. A pattern with a simpler contract is likely to be more useful more often.

Answer 4

Good usage of patterns depends on knowledge and experience; there's no formula to it. A good thing to do is have someone who is experienced at applying patterns judiciously to regularly review the code of everyone else in the team to make sure they're not overusing or underusing design patterns. They're not pre-baked recipes - they need skill to apply effectively and that has to be learned.

My first and best exposure to design patterns was the Portland Pattern Repository.

Answer 5

I think the best web resource containing information about patterns and refactoring - http://sourcemaking.com

Answer 6

I am a big fan of the series and have read many of their books, so I'd recommend Head First Design Patterns. You can read it online via O'Reilly's Safari Bookshelf, but the hard copy comes with a great patterns poster too.