The Pattern Almanac 2000 (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Software patterns are reusable designs that occur again and again, and over the last decade, researchers have been very busy cataloguing them for the rest of us. The Pattern Almanac 2000 takes stock of over 700 previously published patterns. Sure to be a must-have for any serious software designer or project manager, this book provides a fascinating glimpse into the richness of the patterns movement.

For anyone who has followed the emergence of software patterns, this text compiles traditional sources of expertise. Its pages contain the "original" 23 patterns defined by Erich Gamma and the so-called "Gang of Four" team that in 1995 published the bestselling Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software. The almanac also gathers the patterns published in the four-volume series Pattern Languages of Design 1 through 4. That's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg here, as this almanac compiles over 700 patterns from other books, magazines (including C++ Report), conferences, papers, and Web sites.

This almanac is organized into about 70 categories of patterns, ranging from "Accounting" to "Writers' Workshops" and including almost everything in between. Each entry gets a short sentence or two of description, additional sources, and cross-references to related patterns. For programmers, there are patterns for C++, Java, and Smalltalk (which gets well over a hundred in number). Because successful project and team management can be difficult, many patterns deal with more effective software design throughout the project's life cycle. Specialized topics include patterns for finite state machines, parallel processing, fire alarms, and even patterns about patterns. (These sections look at some rules for defining new patterns, as well as running conferences and workshops.) Patterns often have short and sometimes evocative names. You'll find it all here, including early patterns like "Facade" and "Observer," as well as more entertaining ones like "Big Ball of Mud" or (our favorite) "George Washington Is Still Dead."

Although browsing through The Pattern Almanac 2000 will not make you an expert on patterns, it will introduce you to a world of expertise on reusable designs. It's a truly valuable reference for any software developer or manager. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Reference listing of software patterns, analysis patterns, organizational structures, patterns for effective software design (including user interface design), patterns (and anti-patterns) for team and project management; C++ idioms, history patterns, patterns for multimedia and Web design, Java and Smalltalk patterns, databases, patterns for defining new patterns (and running pattern conferences and workshops), finite state machines, telecommunications, Smalltalk patterns, client-server frameworks, patterns for education, system testing, parallel processing, patterns for cryptography and security.

Product Description

The first pattern reference of its kind, The Pattern Almanac is an all-in-one resource for the software practitioner. Completely up-to-date and conveniently structured for quick reference, the book provides an inventory of published patterns that enables application developers to realize the full potential of this powerful literature.

This unique, time-saving book empowers the overworked developer. The pattern listings are organized to help you find the pattern you need easily-without slowing you down. The Almanac references two general types of patterns: those that stand alone and those that are part of a collection. Each pattern and collection is characterized by name, category list, source citation, page numbers, URL, description of intent, related patterns, and experience report citations. The Pattern Almanac is an indispensable tool for everyone who builds software with patterns.

Highlights of this book include:

* References to all widely published patterns and pattern collections * A handy alphabetical breakdown of patterns by category * Extensive bibliography listing the sources of all patterns and experience reports * Comprehensive index of patterns, pattern collections, authors, and citations

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company; 1st edition (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201615673
• ISBN-13: 978-0201615678
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,749,601 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Be forewarned, July 24, 2000

By	Robert Street (Concord, NC USA) - See all my reviews

When this book is described as a listing of 700+ patterns, think literally. No UML, no suggested implementation, no rationale, no CRC - just a brief description of the pattern. And I do mean brief; the GoF's Mediator is reduced to six or seven lines. If you're looking for a good book on patterns, go elsewhere. If you're looking for a good index to pattern material you may already have (JOOP, GoF, Smalltalk Patterns, PLoP books, PLoP conferences, and others) this may be a worthwhile investment as the book includes excellent citation sections.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What we've been waiting for!, November 22, 2000

By	Robert Hanmer (Naperville, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This is the book that the pattern community has been waiting for! The one source of pointers and intents for all the patterns that have been published about software and selected other topics. In order to locate a pattern, or even know it existed before this book you would have had to have studied all the various pattern books and websites, ranging from the Gang of Four (Gamma, Helm, Johnson & Vlissides) to the latest PLoP proceedings. This book makes it possible to identify a problem that you have (such as dealing with queues), turn to the index to look up that topic (12 different patterns related to queues are indexed, as well as citations of several collections of patterns), and then turn to the cited pages to determine if the patterns might be useful to you in solving your current problem.

The value of this book is not that it restates all the patterns, it is in its ability to index the patterns so that they can be found. I think it does an admirable job of this. To achieve this Linda Rising has tackled the monumental job of documenting the intents of all these patterns. For those patterns that I'm familiar with she's done a great job capturing the intent.

This book won't make the reader an expert on the use of any pattern, but will contribute to their ability to create better software.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Catalog, July 26, 2000

By	C. Jaensch (Munich, Germany) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Considering that one of the hard parts of applying patterns is finding initially the right one for the problem at hand, this is an excellent catalog to support one in this task. Certainly, it's not a book to start learning about patterns. But after one has done the required homework (reading the GoF and POSA book) it's an excellent place to start hunting for additional patterns. I especially love the multiple indices.

I missed two things. I would have liked to see a better context desciption for each pattern and I missed a few patterns that I consider useful. Among those are the recently published "SanFrancisco Design Patterns", although Pattern purists may possibly argue whether the latter already qualify as patterns by the "rule of three".

In any case, a very good (4 1/2 stars) addition to ones desktop!