Conquering Fine-Grained Blends of Design Patterns

Abstract

Abstract. The reuse of design patterns in realistic software systems is often a result of blending multiple pattern elements together rather than instantiating them in an isolated manner. Pattern blends can manifest in heterogeneous ways, typically including overlaps and interlaces of inner class members taking part in the patterns implementation. The explicit description of pattern compositions is the key for (i) documenting the structure and the behavior of blended patterns and, (ii) more importantly, supporting the reuse of composite patterns across different software projects. In this context, this paper proposes a fine-grained composition language for describing varying blends of design patterns based on their structural and behavioural semantics. Pattern compositions are specified using an expressive, albeit simple, set of operators that allow for unifying, conjoining, concealing and externalizing pattern elements. The reusability and expressiveness of the proposed language are assessed through its application to 32 compositions of GoF patterns recurrently appearing in three different case studies: the OpenOrb middleware, and the JHotDraw and JUnit frameworks.

Agent-oriented software patterns for rapid and affordable robot programming

“…The pattern selection and integration with the system is traced by information like the one reported in Figure 13.a, from which it is possible to figure out the rationale for pattern applications into the model. In addition, the language used for the pattern specification and composition (see [42]) traces the synergy among patterns that affect the same slice of system. Finally, tool support is fundamental to forward the traceability of pattern reuse down to the programming code.…”