Q: What is a Design Pattern?
A: Design Patterns represent solutions to problems what arise when developing software within a particular context.
Quote:
| Each pattern describes a problem which occurs over and over again in our environment, and then describes the core of the solution to that problem, in such a way that you can use this solution a million times over, without ever doing it the same way twice. |
Quote:
| Patterns help you learn from other's successes, instead of your own failures. |
Q: How many types of design patterns exist?
A: Basically, there are three categories:
- Creational Patterns: deal with initializing and configuring classes and objects
- Structural Patterns: deal with decoupling the interface and implementation of classes and objects
- Behavioral Patterns: deal with dynamic interactions among societies of classes and objects
Q: What are good books about design patterns.
A: Here are some must-have books:
- Design Patterns by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, John Vlissides (also known as Gang of Four)
- Thinking in Patterns with Java, by Bruce Eckel
- Thinking in Patterns with C++, by Bruce Eckel