Definition Of Pattern

: pattern (pàt´ern) noun
: 1. a. A model or an original used as an archetype. b. A person or thing considered worthy of imitation.
: 2. A plan, diagram, or model to be followed in making things: a dress pattern.
: 3. A representative sample; a specimen. See synonyms at ideal.
: 4. a. An artistic or decorative design: a paisley pattern. See synonyms at figure. b. A design of natural or accidental origin: patterns of bird formations.
: 5. A consistent, characteristic form, style, or method, as:. a. A composite of traits or features characteristic of an individual or a group: one's pattern of behavior. b. Form and style in an artistic work or body of artistic works.
: 6. a. The configuration of gunshots upon a target that is used as an indication of skill in shooting. b. The distribution and spread, around a targeted region, of spent shrapnel, bomb fragments, or shot from a shotgun.
: 7. Enough material to make a complete garment.
: 8. A test pattern.
: 9. The flight path of an aircraft about to land: a flight pattern.

See DesignPatterns for the predominant definition of design-pattern used in software design.

Discussion:

From CommunityLifeCycle where the (mis)use of the word "pattern" caused some potential confusion. Or maybe this is about what constitutes appropriate content for Wiki. Suddenly I'm not sure -- PhilGoodwin

[This] is not a "pattern", at least in the sense of ChristopherAlexander's work, the DesignPatterns book, and the PortlandPatternRepository. The life-cycle above is an interesting and possibly useful description of several communities. It is not "a solution to a problem in a context". It does not seem to fit any other definition of "pattern" commonly used in this community. Not all good ideas are patterns. -- CliffordAdams

At least one person objects to my objection above. Perhaps the old definitions of "pattern" are too confining. Perhaps the C2 wiki should become a "good idea" rather than just a "pattern" repository. In any case, I think it is proper to point out that "pattern" has a specific meaning to many people here. -- CliffordAdams (who encourages more discussion on this topic, and would love to learn something)

I'd call CommunityLifeCycle a descriptive pattern as opposed to a prescriptive pattern, in that it abstracts a description of ways in which problems have been solved or not solved in a variety of contexts. In some ways, now that I think of it it's very similar to the ProjectLifeCycle? described in most SoftwareEngineering textbooks. -- LarryPrice

It was something I noticed after the fact, but it's not so strange given that any project involving more than a few people starts to form a community.

And lets not forget about patterns capturing the QualityWithoutaName. Lest we forget, Qwan is an aspect of living communities.

Patterns are generally confused with PatternForm. Many non-patterns can and have been written in PatternForm. It would seem patterns are something more than the structure imposed on them. Then, a pattern could be considered to be a story with ThreeExamples. This is a useful distinction to make because stories are usually interesting in their own right. I suspect this could lead to an internally consistent set of stories. This set might be referred to a StoryLanguage?, a much weaker cousin of a PatternLanguage. Patterns are a subset of stories. -- SunirShah

I think that a pattern has to describe a problem and a solution as well, at very least, to be a Pattern. -- PhilGoodwin

I wonder if maybe the alexandrine form and it's derivatives are a bit too constrained of a definition of patterns, clearly CommunityLifeCycle is not a pattern in the classical sense, yet it does expose PatternsAndAntiPatterns? in a way that seems productive. Perhaps we need investigate not just the MetaPatterns of DefinitionOfPattern and ValueOfPatterns but dig down into the roots of what makes a pattern, at least in the software world. -- LarryPrice

maybe PatternPrimitives

Aside from any DefinitionOfPattern, could we ask what is the ValueOfPatterns? How do they contribute and what do they contribute?

See: IdeaForm -- RandyStafford (03/20/2000)

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