Design patterns are reusable solutions to common software development problems. They are not specific to a particular programming language, but rather are general solutions that can be applied to any codebase. The idea behind design patterns is to provide developers with a set of proven solutions to common problems that they can use as building blocks when designing software.
There are three main types of design patterns: creational, structural, and behavioral.
Focus on object creation mechanisms, trying to create objects in a manner suitable to the situation. This includes patterns like Singleton, Factory Method, and Abstract Factory.
Deal with object composition, combining objects to form larger structures. Examples of structural patterns include the Adapter, Decorator, and Facade patterns.
Focus on communication between objects, helping to manage how objects interact and behave with each other. This includes patterns like Observer, Command, and Template Method.
The benefits of using design patterns include improved code reusability, increased maintainability, and a more modular and flexible codebase. By using proven solutions to common problems, developers can save time and avoid reinventing the wheel.
It's important to note that design patterns are different from architectural patterns. Architectural patterns are higher-level design patterns that provide solutions to large-scale software architecture problems. Examples of architectural patterns include Model-View-Controller (MVC), Layered Architecture, and Microservices.
Code patterns, on the other hand, are more specific and concrete solutions to common programming problems. They are low-level and implementation-focused and provide guidance on how to implement a particular feature or functionality. Code patterns are often language-specific and cannot be easily applied across different domains or programming languages.
In summary, design patterns are focused on software design and architecture, while code patterns are focused on implementation and coding, and architectural patterns are in a high-level of abstraction handling non-code concerns. All of them, design patterns, architectural patterns and code patterns are important for software development and can help developers create better and more maintainable software.