Pattern Aided Software Engineering

Pattern Aided Software Engineering (or PASE) is what you got when you talk about generating actual source code from pattern descriptions. I have heard of efforts to make CASE tools that work with Patterns, and I have heard talk of creating PASE tools that will help you cookie-cut software:

I just plug in Observer, give it a few parameters and then zow I got my module coded.

I always thought that the use of patterns were to facilitate communication among people: A protocol for conveying information from master to apprentice or from peer to peer.

Are PASE tools a logical next step? Are they PatternHype?

-- ToddCoram

There's a PASETool article in the June DrDobbsJournal by FredWild?: "Instantiating Code Patterns." The tool is called SNIP. After reading the article, I'm convinced of the following:

There are things we call patterns today that can be automated by a CASE tool;
The automation can cover only small areas of design;
Such automation misses the point of GenerativePatterns?, or of WhyPatternsAreDifferent

I think it's pretty clear that many things we thought were patterns in the early days are looking less and less like patterns, certainly like good patterns. And many of the "patterns" I'm seeing automated aren't great patterns.

Such work in general certainly has close ties to PatternHype. I know FredWild? pretty well and believe he is trying to help. I also believe we need to make a place for these people as patterns age and become automatable. Most of the assembly language patterns I was using 22 years ago have since been automated in most compilers. They were patterns then, but no longer are. We need to start thinking of a PatternRetirementHome?.

-- JimCoplien

I think PASE tools are more PatternHype than anything at the moment, but I believe that over time some kind of PatternsTool will start becoming useful. It's my personal belief that reverse-engineering will be useful long before foreward-engineering, though.

--KyleBrown

We have a fairly large project with a large portion of the code being generated as implementations of specific patterns. I don't think PatternHype is a valid comment when applied to a million LOC project. It allows us to ensure high quality and predictability in terms of deliveries.

-- Corneil du Plessis

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