Anti-patterns

According to the authors of Design Patterns, there must be at least two key elements present to formally distinguish an actual anti-pattern from a simple bad habit, bad practice, or bad idea:

A commonly used process, structure, or pattern of action that despite initially appearing to be an appropriate and effective response to a problem, has more bad consequences than good ones.
Another solution exists that is documented, repeatable, and proven to be effective.

Software Development AntiPatterns

The Blob Procedural-style design leads to one object with a lion’s share of the responsibilities, while most other objects only hold data or execute simple processes. The solution includes refactoring the design to distribute responsibilities more uniformly and isolating the effect of changes.
Continuous Obsolescence Technology is changing so rapidly that developers often have trouble keeping up with current versions of software and finding combinations of product releases that work together. Given that every commercial product line evolves through new releases, the situation is becoming more difficult for developers to cope with. Finding compatible releases of products that successfully interoperate is even harder.
Lava Flow Dead code and forgotten design information is frozen in an ever-changing design. This is analogous to a Lava Flow with hardening globules of rocky material. The refactored solution includes a configuration management process that eliminates dead code and evolves or refactors design toward increasing quality.
Ambiguous Viewpoint Object-oriented analysis and design (OOA&D) models are often presented without clarifying the viewpoint represented by the model. By default, OOA&D models denote an implementation viewpoint that is potentially the least useful. Mixed viewpoints don’t allow the fundamental separation of interfaces from implementation details, which is one of the primary benefits of the object-oriented paradigm.
Functional Decomposition This AntiPattern is the output of experienced, nonobject-oriented developers who design and implement an application in an object-oriented language. The resulting code resembles a structural language (Pascal, FORTRAN) in class structure. It can be incredibly complex as smart procedural developers devise very “clever” ways to replicate their time-tested methods in an object-oriented architecture.
Poltergeists Poltergeists are classes with very limited roles and effective life cycles. They often start processes for other objects. The refactored solution includes a reallocation of responsibilities to longer-lived objects that eliminate the Poltergeists.
Boat Anchor A Boat Anchor is a piece of software or hardware that serves no useful purpose on the current project. Often, the Boat Anchor is a costly acquisition, which makes the purchase even more ironic.
Golden Hammer A Golden Hammer is a familiar technology or concept applied obsessively to many software problems. The solution involves expanding the knowledge of developers through education, training, and book study groups to expose developers to alternative technologies and approaches.
Dead End A Dead End is reached by modifying a reusable component if the modified component is no longer maintained and supported by the supplier. When these modifications are made, the support burden transfers to the application system developers and maintainers. Improvements in the reusable component are not easily integrated, and support problems can be blamed upon the modification.
Spaghetti Code Ad hoc software structure makes it difficult to extend and optimize code. Frequent code refactoring can improve software structure, support software maintenance, and enable iterative development.
Input Kludge Software that fails straightforward behavioral tests may be an example of an input kludge, which occurs when ad hoc algorithms are employed for handling program input.
Walking through a Minefield Using today’s software technology is analogous to walking through a high-tech mine field. Numerous bugs are found in released software products; in fact, experts estimate that original source code contains two to five bugs per line of code.
Cut-and-Paste Programming Code reused by copying source statements leads to significant maintenance problems. Alternative forms of reuse, including black-box reuse, reduce maintenance issues by having common source code, testing, and documentation.
Mushroom Management In some architecture and management circles, there is an explicit policy to keep system developers isolated from the system’s end users. Requirements are passed second-hand through intermediaries, including architects, managers, or requirements analysts.

Software Architecture AntiPatterns

Autogenerated Stovepipe This AntiPattern occurs when migrating an existing software system to a distributed infrastructure. An Autogenerated Stovepipe arises when converting the existing software interfaces to distributed interfaces. If the same design is used for distributed computing, a number of problems emerge.
Stovepipe Enterprise A Stovepipe System is characterized by a software structure that inhibits change. The refactored solution describes how to abstract subsystem and components to achieve an improved system structure. The Stovepipe Enterprise AntiPattern is characterized by a lack of coordination and planning across a set of systems.
Jumble When horizontal and vertical design elements are intermixed, an unstable architecture results. The intermingling of horizontal and vertical design elements limits the reusability and robustness of the architecture and the system software components.
Stovepipe System Subsystems are integrated in an ad hoc manner using multiple integration strategies and mechanisms, and all are integrated point to point. The integration approach for each pair of subsystems is not easily leveraged toward that of other subsystems. The Stovepipe System AntiPattern is the single-system analogy of Stovepipe Enterprise, and is concerned with how the subsystems are coordinated within a single system.
Cover Your Assets Document-driven software processes often produce less-than-useful requirements and specifications because the authors evade making important decisions. In order to avoid making a mistake, the authors take a safer course and elaborate upon alternatives.
Vendor Lock-In Vendor Lock-In occurs in systems that are highly dependent upon proprietary architectures. The use of architectural isolation layers can provide independence from vendor-specific solutions.
Wolf Ticket A Wolf Ticket is a product that claims openness and conformance to standards that have no enforceable meaning. The products are delivered with proprietary interfaces that may vary significantly from the published standard.
Architecture by Implication Management of risk in follow-on system development is often overlooked due to overconfidence and recent system successes. A general architecture approach that is tailored to each application system can help identify unique requirements and risk areas.
Warm Bodies Software projects are often staffed with programmers with widely varying skills and productivity levels. Many of these people may be assigned to meet staff size objectives (so-called “warm bodies”). Skilled programmers are essential to the success of a software project. So-called heroic programmers are exceptionally productive, but as few as 1 in 20 have this talent. They produce an order of magnitude more working software than an average programmer.
Design by Committee The classic AntiPattern from standards bodies, Design by Committee creates overly complex architectures that lack coherence. Clarification of architectural roles and improved process facilitation can refactor bad meeting processes into highly productive events.
Swiss Army Knife A Swiss Army Knife is an excessively complex class interface. The designer attempts to provide for all possible uses of the class. In the attempt, he or she adds a large number of interface signatures in a futile attempt to meet all possible needs.
Reinvent the Wheel The pervasive lack of technology transfer between software projects leads to substantial reinvention. Design knowledge buried in legacy assets can be leveraged to reduce time-to-market, cost, and risk.
The Grand Old Duke of York Egalitarian software processes often ignore people’s talents to the detriment of the project. Programming skill does not equate to skill in defining abstractions. There appear to be two distinct groups involved in software development: abstractionists and their counterparts the implementationists.

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Anti-patterns

According to the authors of Design Patterns, there must be at least two key elements present to formally distinguish an actual anti-pattern from a simple bad habit, bad practice, or bad idea:

A commonly used process, structure, or pattern of action that despite initially appearing to be an appropriate and effective response to a problem, has more bad consequences than good ones.
Another solution exists that is documented, repeatable, and proven to be effective.

Software Development AntiPatterns

The Blob Procedural-style design leads to one object with a lion’s share of the responsibilities, while most other objects only hold data or execute simple processes. The solution includes refactoring the design to distribute responsibilities more uniformly and isolating the effect of changes.
Continuous Obsolescence Technology is changing so rapidly that developers often have trouble keeping up with current versions of software and finding combinations of product releases that work together. Given that every commercial product line evolves through new releases, the situation is becoming more difficult for developers to cope with. Finding compatible releases of products that successfully interoperate is even harder.
Lava Flow Dead code and forgotten design information is frozen in an ever-changing design. This is analogous to a Lava Flow with hardening globules of rocky material. The refactored solution includes a configuration management process that eliminates dead code and evolves or refactors design toward increasing quality.
Ambiguous Viewpoint Object-oriented analysis and design (OOA&D) models are often presented without clarifying the viewpoint represented by the model. By default, OOA&D models denote an implementation viewpoint that is potentially the least useful. Mixed viewpoints don’t allow the fundamental separation of interfaces from implementation details, which is one of the primary benefits of the object-oriented paradigm.
Functional Decomposition This AntiPattern is the output of experienced, nonobject-oriented developers who design and implement an application in an object-oriented language. The resulting code resembles a structural language (Pascal, FORTRAN) in class structure. It can be incredibly complex as smart procedural developers devise very “clever” ways to replicate their time-tested methods in an object-oriented architecture.
Poltergeists Poltergeists are classes with very limited roles and effective life cycles. They often start processes for other objects. The refactored solution includes a reallocation of responsibilities to longer-lived objects that eliminate the Poltergeists.
Boat Anchor A Boat Anchor is a piece of software or hardware that serves no useful purpose on the current project. Often, the Boat Anchor is a costly acquisition, which makes the purchase even more ironic.
Golden Hammer A Golden Hammer is a familiar technology or concept applied obsessively to many software problems. The solution involves expanding the knowledge of developers through education, training, and book study groups to expose developers to alternative technologies and approaches.
Dead End A Dead End is reached by modifying a reusable component if the modified component is no longer maintained and supported by the supplier. When these modifications are made, the support burden transfers to the application system developers and maintainers. Improvements in the reusable component are not easily integrated, and support problems can be blamed upon the modification.
Spaghetti Code Ad hoc software structure makes it difficult to extend and optimize code. Frequent code refactoring can improve software structure, support software maintenance, and enable iterative development.
Input Kludge Software that fails straightforward behavioral tests may be an example of an input kludge, which occurs when ad hoc algorithms are employed for handling program input.
Walking through a Minefield Using today’s software technology is analogous to walking through a high-tech mine field. Numerous bugs are found in released software products; in fact, experts estimate that original source code contains two to five bugs per line of code.
Cut-and-Paste Programming Code reused by copying source statements leads to significant maintenance problems. Alternative forms of reuse, including black-box reuse, reduce maintenance issues by having common source code, testing, and documentation.
Mushroom Management In some architecture and management circles, there is an explicit policy to keep system developers isolated from the system’s end users. Requirements are passed second-hand through intermediaries, including architects, managers, or requirements analysts.

Software Architecture AntiPatterns

Autogenerated Stovepipe This AntiPattern occurs when migrating an existing software system to a distributed infrastructure. An Autogenerated Stovepipe arises when converting the existing software interfaces to distributed interfaces. If the same design is used for distributed computing, a number of problems emerge.
Stovepipe Enterprise A Stovepipe System is characterized by a software structure that inhibits change. The refactored solution describes how to abstract subsystem and components to achieve an improved system structure. The Stovepipe Enterprise AntiPattern is characterized by a lack of coordination and planning across a set of systems.
Jumble When horizontal and vertical design elements are intermixed, an unstable architecture results. The intermingling of horizontal and vertical design elements limits the reusability and robustness of the architecture and the system software components.
Stovepipe System Subsystems are integrated in an ad hoc manner using multiple integration strategies and mechanisms, and all are integrated point to point. The integration approach for each pair of subsystems is not easily leveraged toward that of other subsystems. The Stovepipe System AntiPattern is the single-system analogy of Stovepipe Enterprise, and is concerned with how the subsystems are coordinated within a single system.
Cover Your Assets Document-driven software processes often produce less-than-useful requirements and specifications because the authors evade making important decisions. In order to avoid making a mistake, the authors take a safer course and elaborate upon alternatives.
Vendor Lock-In Vendor Lock-In occurs in systems that are highly dependent upon proprietary architectures. The use of architectural isolation layers can provide independence from vendor-specific solutions.
Wolf Ticket A Wolf Ticket is a product that claims openness and conformance to standards that have no enforceable meaning. The products are delivered with proprietary interfaces that may vary significantly from the published standard.
Architecture by Implication Management of risk in follow-on system development is often overlooked due to overconfidence and recent system successes. A general architecture approach that is tailored to each application system can help identify unique requirements and risk areas.
Warm Bodies Software projects are often staffed with programmers with widely varying skills and productivity levels. Many of these people may be assigned to meet staff size objectives (so-called “warm bodies”). Skilled programmers are essential to the success of a software project. So-called heroic programmers are exceptionally productive, but as few as 1 in 20 have this talent. They produce an order of magnitude more working software than an average programmer.
Design by Committee The classic AntiPattern from standards bodies, Design by Committee creates overly complex architectures that lack coherence. Clarification of architectural roles and improved process facilitation can refactor bad meeting processes into highly productive events.
Swiss Army Knife A Swiss Army Knife is an excessively complex class interface. The designer attempts to provide for all possible uses of the class. In the attempt, he or she adds a large number of interface signatures in a futile attempt to meet all possible needs.
Reinvent the Wheel The pervasive lack of technology transfer between software projects leads to substantial reinvention. Design knowledge buried in legacy assets can be leveraged to reduce time-to-market, cost, and risk.
The Grand Old Duke of York Egalitarian software processes often ignore people’s talents to the detriment of the project. Programming skill does not equate to skill in defining abstractions. There appear to be two distinct groups involved in software development: abstractionists and their counterparts the implementationists.

PreviousDomain-Driven Design patterns NextDB Design

Last updated 5 years ago