An approach for pattern oriented software development based on a design handbook

In many mature engineering disciplines, reuse of available design knowledge is helped by the presence of handbooks. These handbooks record the details of existing system components and help in the process of evaluating design alternatives while building new systems. In recent times, design patterns have been identified as fundamental components of an object oriented design. However, they are presented in a format that may not be best suited for systematic selection and use while evaluating design alternatives. This paper provides a procedure to construct a handbook based on design patterns. This handbook helps designers in methodical selection of design patterns. The construction of the handbook is based on the identification of a set of key attributes of a design pattern and quantification of these attributes using the principles of measurement theory. A new methodology for object oriented design which consults the handbook during the design process is also introduced. The proposed methodology along with the handbook helps in evaluating different design alternatives.