Anti Patterns Book
AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis by William J. Brown, Raphael C. Malveau, SkipMcCormick, Thomas J. Mowbray
[ISBN: 0-471-19713-0] The authors use several big vendors' technologies as examples of today's antipatterns. Luckily, they suggest ways to overcome antipatterns and improve software productivity in "refactored solutions" that can overcome some of these obstacles. However, this is a realistic book, a mix of "Dilbert" and software engineering. A clever antidote to getting too optimistic about software development, AntiPatterns should be required reading for any manager facing a large-scale development project. -- Amazon Review
WardsWiki Reviews:
- Lists some interesting architectural, development, and management AntiPatterns. But it has a lot of fluff and not enough meat, in my opinion, which is not universally admired. Wait for it in paperback, or treat it as "one to scan." -- RonJeffries (who gives it 3 out of 5 possible stars in his review on amazon.com)
- On the web site you'll find a tutorial (as given at OOPSLA '98) and some examples.
- Unconvincing, the illustrations mostly pointless (Dilbert cartoons excepted, natch), and some of the technical examples hollow.
-
LaurentBossavit -- Just finished it. I found some value in it for the comprehensive collection of "common pitfalls" that it describes; but it is otherwise seriously disappointing.
- The opening chapters, which claim to establish AntiPatterns as "a more effective form of design patterns" grossly overhype the form and in fact managed to turn me off the notion of AntiPatterns entirely. (I think I definitely prefer to call them DarkPatterns: solutions which do work, at least in the short term, but carry unacceptable risks.)
- The writing is often gauche, the "patternity" sometimes unconvincing, the illustrations mostly pointless (Dilbert cartoons excepted, natch), and some of the technical examples hollow.
- It's not all bad. The chapter on ManagementAntiPatterns has some saving graces. But the book, overall, appears to ironically fall prey to one of the errors it decries - DesignByCommittee.
- JeffGrigg -- I liked the book. It's an entertaining read. It does assign nice names to things you may well find in code. (Come to think of it, I loaned it to a project manager recently. He liked it too, but 'hasn't returned it!!!' I'll have to go give him a hard time. ;-)
-
A list of development, management and architecture anti-patterns in this book now appears on the AntiPatternsCatalog page.
- It contains some AntiPatterns not in the book, but isn't that only to be expected in an interactive, collaborative space such as WardsWiki?