General talk about software patterns

["Yan, Hong [IT]" <hong.yan AT citigroup.com>]

Dan:

 

Points taken. May I correct myself:

    I am sure I would be able to manage my coins better if I am better in accounting and bookkeeping _patterns_ such as double-entry bookkeeping _patterns_ -:)

 

And I view the personal resistance to the possible notion of universal pattern as a pattern, too, to be fully compliant to the requirement :-)

 

 

 

Best regards and all respects,

 

Jeff

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Palanza [mailto:dan AT capecod.net]
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 11:30 AM
To: patterns-discussion AT cs.uiuc.edu
Subject: RE: [patterns-discussion] A question about Coin and Wallet

Hi Jeff,

I am sure I would be able to manage my coins better if I am better in accounting methodologies and bookkeeping skills such as double-entry bookkeeping -:)

Since this is a patterns discussion group, my hope is that contributors, such as yourself, will view bookkeeping language for its value in general pattern study, as opposed to the specific Coin and Wallet problem you outlined. Dick Gabriel pointed out at the second PLoP conference that pattern study enables communication across disciplines. He proposed pattern study as enabling diverse software developers to finally speak a language held in common.

Bookkeeping language presents a different form of pattern study than the pattern-discussion software community has explored to date. Where this group traditionally has looked for unique patterns that form within particular languages, bookkeeping is about a universal reasoning template that seems to be common to all languages. Extending Dick's message, universal pattern study may enable diverse cultural groups to communicate between their culture's by using the universal language template.

I might add, having studied universals for almost 30 years now, that I have found a fascinating personal resistance to the possible notion of a universal reasoning template underlying language. That resistance is just as common among local persons, doctors, lawyers, politicians, etc., as it is for people on this list. Alexander's theory of centers introduces universals underlying construction design, which I found easy to replicate and extremely helpful to me in my own construction work, as so there is hope.

Dan