Design patterns are reusable solutions to common problems in software development. They help you write code that is more maintainable, extensible, and testable. In this article, you will learn how to use design patterns to improve code quality in enterprise software projects.
Design patterns are not specific implementations, but general guidelines or templates that you can adapt to your own context and needs. They describe the relationships and interactions between classes, objects, and interfaces, and the roles and responsibilities they have. Design patterns are usually classified into three categories: creational, structural, and behavioral.
Design patterns are like meal recipes; sometimes, the application requires calling the same method from different classes, which is the proxy pattern. It is akin to rice, a staple food found in dinners worldwide. There are 23 patterns used in various languages (Java, C++, Rust), and you only need to recognize and know how to use them because you can encounter them in every project, be it small or large. Singleton, Repository, Factory, and Facade are among the most common ones. These patterns also contribute to the SOLID principles which is the ultimate goal for software engineers to make our code more understandable and maintainable.
Design patterns can help you tackle challenges and complexities that arise in enterprise software development, such as scalability, performance, security, and compatibility. By utilizing design patterns, you can reap the benefits of avoiding the need to reinvent the wheel and capitalizing on the best practices and experience of other developers. Moreover, you can enhance the readability and consistency of your code, which makes it simpler to understand and modify. Design patterns also help reduce coupling and increase cohesion of your code, making it more modular and flexible. Furthermore, design patterns can facilitate communication and collaboration among team members by providing a common vocabulary and reference to describe design decisions.
Design patterns are solutions that have been tested by the software development community. Using design patterns, developers can use these proven solutions to effectively solve common problems.
When it comes to design patterns, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You have to consider the specific requirements, constraints, and trade-offs of your project, and evaluate the pros and cons of each pattern. Factors to take into account include the problem domain and level of abstraction needed, the desired functionality and behavior, the dependencies and relationships to establish or avoid between components, and the impact on performance, memory, security, and maintainability of your code.
After gathering business requirements, we can decide on design patterns because, most of the time, requirements guide us on where to apply them. For example, if the requirements specify that our source must import XML and generate JSON and JSONB, we can consider implementing this process using Adapter, Factory, and perhaps Builder patterns. These ideas evolve over time, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Therefore, we should be prepared for refactoring when necessary and maintain a flexible approach.
Every code written is a design pattern. Learn the best ways to implement a given functionality either thorugh literature, experience, or university.
Design patterns are not rigid rules, but rather flexible guidelines that can be adapted and customized to suit a particular situation. Different programming languages, frameworks, libraries, and tools can be used to implement design patterns as long as the core principles and logic of each pattern are followed. To use design patterns effectively, you should first identify the problem and the context that you want to solve or improve with a design pattern. Then, select the most suitable pattern or combination of patterns that can address your problem and meet your goals. After that, define the classes, objects, interfaces, methods, and properties that will participate in the pattern, as well as their roles and responsibilities. Establish the relationships and interactions between the participants of the pattern as well as the rules and protocols they will follow. Finally, test and refactor your code to ensure it works as expected and meets quality standards.
Learning design patterns is an ongoing process that requires resources and strategies. You can read books, articles, blogs, and tutorials to understand the concepts, examples, and applications of design patterns. You can also watch videos, podcasts, webinars, and courses to demonstrate the use and implementation of design patterns. Practicing and experimenting with design patterns in your own projects or online platforms can provide feedback and guidance. Additionally, you can review existing code that uses design patterns to identify strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Finally, discussing and sharing your ideas and questions about design patterns with other developers, mentors, or communities can help you master them. Design patterns are a powerful tool that can help you write better code for enterprise software projects. However, you must use them appropriately to fit your context and needs.
I highly suggest writing code that is the best way to learn a language and do further with it like implementing design patterns. By reading others code is for improving our knowledge and cross check if are we on the right path. Now there are many open source good projects online. According to your area just dig in to frameworks and read them, I personally read Spring or Hibernate framework functions and classes sometime just to see how those are using patterns. It will give you deep knowledge on the language you are working with and will help you be better using them. Same applies to Dotnet universe or Rust, Golang.