C++ Common Knowledge: Essential Intermediate Programming

Item 3. Design Patterns

Anyone who is not already familiar with design patterns may, after a brief survey of the field, come away with the impression that design patterns are a lot of marketing hype, are just some simple coding techniques, or are the playthings of computer scientists who really should get out more. While each of these impressions carries a grain of truth, design patterns are an essential component of the professional C++ programmer’s toolkit.

A “design pattern” is a recurring architectural theme that provides a solution to a common design problem within a particular context and describes the consequences of this solution. A design pattern is more than a simple description of a technique; it’s a named capsule of design wisdom ...