Product Description

In 1994, Design Patterns changed the landscape of object-oriented development by introducing classic solutions to recurring design problems. In 1999, Refactoring revolutionized design by introducing an effective process for improving code. With the highly anticipated Refactoring to Patterns, Joshua Kerievsky has changed our approach to design by forever uniting patterns with the evolutionary process of refactoring.

This book introduces the theory and practice of pattern-directed refactorings: sequences of low-level refactorings that allow designers to safely move designs to, towards, or away from pattern implementations. Using code from real-world projects, Kerievsky documents the thinking and steps underlying over two dozen pattern-based design transformations. Along the way he offers insights into pattern differences and how to implement patterns in the simplest possible ways.

Coverage includes:

• A catalog of twenty-seven pattern-directed refactorings, featuring real-world code examples
• Descriptions of twelve design smells that indicate the need for this book’s refactorings
• General information and new insights about patterns and refactoring
• Detailed implementation mechanics: how low-level refactorings are combined to implement high-level patterns
• Multiple ways to implement the same pattern—and when to use each
• Practical ways to get started even if you have little experience with patterns or refactoring

Refactoring to Patterns reflects three years of refinement and the insights of more than sixty software engineering thought leaders in the global patterns, refactoring, and agile development communities. Whether you’re focused on legacy or “greenfield” development, this book will make you a better software designer by helping you learn how to make important design changes safely and effectively.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #82094 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

From the Back Cover

In 1994, Design Patterns changed the landscape of object-oriented development by introducing classic solutions to recurring design problems. In 1999, Refactoring revolutionized design by introducing an effective process for improving code. With the highly anticipated Refactoring to Patterns, Joshua Kerievsky has changed our approach to design by forever uniting patterns with the evolutionary process of refactoring.

This book introduces the theory and practice of pattern-directed refactorings: sequences of low-level refactorings that allow designers to safely move designs to, towards, or away from pattern implementations. Using code from real-world projects, Kerievsky documents the thinking and steps underlying over two dozen pattern-based design transformations. Along the way he offers insights into pattern differences and how to implement patterns in the simplest possible ways.

Coverage includes:

• A catalog of twenty-seven pattern-directed refactorings, featuring real-world code examples
• Descriptions of twelve design smells that indicate the need for this book’s refactorings
• General information and new insights about patterns and refactoring
• Detailed implementation mechanics: how low-level refactorings are combined to implement high-level patterns
• Multiple ways to implement the same pattern—and when to use each
• Practical ways to get started even if you have little experience with patterns or refactoring

Refactoring to Patterns reflects three years of refinement and the insights of more than sixty software engineering thought leaders in the global patterns, refactoring, and agile development communities. Whether you’re focused on legacy or “greenfield” development, this book will make you a better software designer by helping you learn how to make important design changes safely and effectively.

About the Author

Joshua Kerievsky is the founder of Industrial Logic (http://industriallogic.com), a company specializing in Extreme Programming. Since 1988, Joshua has been a professional software developer, coach, and instructor for clients such as Bankers Trust, MTV, MBNA, Ansys, MDS Sciex, Nielsen Media Research, and Sun Microsystems. He speaks regularly at conferences, has written numerous articles, and contributed chapters to Extreme Programming Explored (Addison-Wesley, 2001) and Extreme Programming Perspectives (Addison-Wesley, 2002). Joshua lives with his wife and daughters in Berkeley, California.

Customer Reviews

Well written, easy to read, and genuinely useful
Refactoring To Patterns brings together the Patterns movement, and the practice of Refactoring commonplace in the Agile community. Whereas the original Gang of Four book told us what patterns were, what sort of problems they solved, and how the code might be structured, Refactoring To Patterns illustrates how, why and when to introduce patterns into an existing codebase.

The opening chapters cover the background, introducing both refactoring and design patterns, and the context in which the book was written. This gives the reader a clear overview of what is involved in Refactoring to Patterns, and paves the way for the refactoring catalogue which makes up the bulk of the book.

The catalogue is divided into chapters based on the type of change required --- is this a refactoring to simplify code, generalize code, or increase encapsulation and protection? Each chapter has an introduction which gives an overview of the refactorings contained within that chapter, followed by the refactorings themselves. These introductions clearly illustrate the principles and choices which would lead one to follow the refactorings that follow.

Each refactoring starts with a brief one sentence summary, and before and after structure diagrams with reference to the structure diagrams for the relevant pattern in the Design Patterns book. The sections that follow then cover the Motivation for using this refactoring, step-by-step Mechanics, and a worked Example, relating back to the steps given for the Mechanics. Finally, some of the refactorings finish with Variations on the same theme. The examples are all pulled from a small sample of projects, which are introduced at the beginning of the catalogue section, and help illuminate the instructions given in the Mechanics section. The mechanics themselves are generally clear, and broken down into small steps --- sometimes smaller steps than I might take in practice, but I think this is probably wise, as large steps can easily confuse. Finally, the Motivation sections do a good job of explaining why one would choose to do a particular refactoring, and any pitfalls to doing so --- the "Benefits and Liabilities" tables provide a useful summary.

This book is well written, easy to read, and genuinely useful. It has helped me put some of the refactorings I do into a larger context, and given me insight into how I can integrate patterns with existing code, rather than designing them in up front. As John Brant and Don Roberts highlight in their Afterword, this is a book to study, the real benefit comes not from knowing the mechanics, but by understanding the motivation, and the process, so that one may apply the same thinking to other scenarios not covered by this book. If you are serious about software development, buy this book, inwardly digest it, and keep it by your side.

Highly Recommended.

Companion to GoF Design Patterns & Fowler's Refactoring.
Sits on my desk with the two volumes mentioned in the title to this review. Found myself sitting on the train going home, reading "Refactoring to Patterns", and emailing myself at work with a wee gem of a refactoring to pattern for code I was working on at the time. I recommend you read it following the "Study Sequence" that appears at the end of chapter 5.

Badly Written
Whilst the idea behind this book is sound and the author does not seem to put enough effort into making the book readable.

The examples were often a little hard to understand. I liked the fact that author used examples he'd met professionally but he often doesn't give you enough context to work out whats going on.

However what really hurts this book is that the author often fails to explain things clearly. For example: "If the instantiator doesn't instantiate the product using a Creation Method, modify it and, if necessary, also modify the products class, so the instantiation occurs through a Creation Method".