Pattern-Oriented Software Architecture, A System of Patterns

Guide to the Reader

This book is structured so that it can be read from cover to cover. The following hints are provided in case you want to choose your own route through the book.

Chapter 1, Patterns gives an in-depth explanation of patterns for software architecture. Everything that follows builds on this discussion, so you should read this chapter first. The order in which you read individual patterns is up to you. To grasp the key ideas behind a specific pattern, you only need to read its Context, Problem and Solution sections. Extensive cross-referencing will guide you in understanding the relationships between patterns.

If patterns are new to you, we suggest that you read the basic and simple patterns first—patterns that are easy to understand and that appear in many well-structured software systems. Examples are:

• The Pipes and Filters architectural pattern (53)¹
• The Proxy design pattern (263)
• The Forwarder-Receiver design pattern (307)

You can also use this book to find solutions to design problems you may encounter in your current project. Use the overview of our pattern system in Chapter 5, Pattern Systems as a guide in your search, then look up the detailed descriptions of those patterns you have selected as potential solutions.

The other chapters—Chapter 6, Patterns and Software Architecture, Chapter 7, The Pattern Community and Chapter 8, Where Will Patterns Go?—can be read in any order, although the given order will suit most readers best.

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