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Lunch » Tags » Books » Reviews » Design Patterns For Dummies

Design Patterns For Dummies

1 rating: 5.0

A book by Steve Holzner Ph.D.

There's a pattern here, and here's how to use it! Find out how the 23 leading design patterns can save you time and trouble Ever feel as if you've solved this programming problem before? You -- … see full wiki

Tags: Books

Author: Steve Holzner Ph.D.

Genre: Computers & Internet

Publisher: For Dummies

1 review about Design Patterns For Dummies

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Practical, concrete examples of patterns...

Jun 4, 2006

by duffbert
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

Rating:

Yes, patterns are important. But if you try and get your first exposure to them via the classic GoF book, you'll likely be more confused than enlightened. Steve Holzner has a practical, understandable treatment of patterns in the book Design Patterns For Dummies.

Contents:
Part 1 - Getting to Know Patterns: Congratulations, Your Problem Has Already Been Solved; Putting Plans into Action with the Strategy Pattern; Creating and Extending Objects with the Decorator and Factory Patterns; Watch What's Going On with the Observer and Chain of Responsibility Patterns; From One to Many - The Singleton and Flyweight Patterns
Part 2 - Becoming an OOP Master: Fitting Round Pegs into Square Holes with the Adapter and Facade Patterns; Mass Producing Objects with the Template Method and Builder Patterns; Handling Collections with the Iterator and Composite Patterns; Getting Control of Your Objects with the State and Proxy Patterns; Coordinating Your Objects with the Command and Mediator Patterns
Part 3 - The Part of Tens: Ten More Design Patterns; Ten Easy Steps to Create Your Own Patterns
Index

The problem I've always had with patterns is that they seem to always be discussed in general terms. I have a hard time visualizing exactly what they mean unless I can see real code. Holzner uses a humorous "pattern consultant" storyline throughout each chapter, and relates a "business requirement" to actual Java code. He starts with a typical solution that doesn't implement the pattern, and shows how that approach can lead to problems down the road. He then refactors the solution to implement the patterns being discussed, and suddenly it's easy to understand exactly how that pattern looks in code. In fact, you may find yourself recognizing techniques you already use, but didn't know they were pattern solutions. I ended up thinking "oh, so *that's* what that pattern does" a number of times throughout this book. There's only been one other pattern book that I got that from, and it's a shame that something so valuable ends up being so obscured in theory and generalities.

While it's advisable to get the GoF book if you are really going to dive into patterns, it's also advisable to get a book that gets into practical, concrete examples. Between the two, you'll know everything you'll need to know about patterns. Design Patterns For Dummies definitely fits the bill for the practical volume you'll need...

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