[self-interest] partial conclusions about design patterns

David Ungar David.Ungar at Eng.Sun.COM
Wed Dec 6 02:38:50 UTC 2000


Dear Albertina,

Thanks for your apology; it was very sweet.

I have mixed feelings about patterns in computer science.
I sympathize with the Beta folks over the loss of the word to them.
But the main problem I have is that I find GOF too superficial.
I believe that values hold the essence of what is important.
I find good values in Kent Beck's Smalltalk Best Practise Patterns book,
but do not find them as much in GOF.

I also read several years of PLOP proceedings and was not overwhelmed with
the feeling that here was something critically important.
Maybe a good tool for education or communication.

To me, whether or not something is presented as a pattern is far less 
important then its quality
(in the Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance sense).
So I love Knuth's books even though there is not one "pattern" in them.
And I love Kent's book.
And I suspect if I read Alexander, I would love his books, too.
But because of their *quality*, not their form.

I would rather teach people many different programming languages than 
teach them
a bunch 'o patterns.

Just my 2 cent's worth,

Hugs right back at you,

- Dave
-- 


     David Ungar
     Sun Microsystems Laboratories
     (650) 336-2618



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