What Characterizes a Pattern?
Explore the defining characteristics of software design patterns based on Christopher Alexander's definition. Learn to identify when to apply a pattern, understand its solution structure, and evaluate the consequences. This lesson helps you grasp why good design patterns are both useful and versatile for solving recurring programming problems.
The idea of using patterns was originally coined in the architecture field. Later, using patterns was adopted in other fields, including computer science. So, before diving into design patterns, let’s explain the characteristics of a simple pattern.
Characteristics of a pattern
To discuss the characteristics of a pattern, let’s refer to the definition written by Christopher Alexander. According to him: “Each pattern describes a problem which occurs over and over again … and then describes the core of the solution to that problem, in such a way that you can ...