A Theoretically-based Process for Organizing Design Patterns

Since their introduction, hundreds of different design patterns have been discovered and documented to address a variety of problems we encounter in software design and construction. However, to use any one of these design patterns effectively and quickly, one must have access to a design pattern definition that unambiguously gives away its intended purpose, and find an easy way to choose one design pattern from among a family of related design patterns. Existing research is either lacking or has not addressed these issues adequately. We propose a new process by which we can organize design patterns and allow for easy identification and differentiation among them. We rely on and adapt some linguistic theories to analyze design patterns; use some complex algebraic structures to structure hierarchical concepts that describe design patterns; and utilize some general and reliable classification theories that were used successfully in compiling dictionaries and thesauri of natural languages.