Understanding the concept and use of design patterns in software development

Design patterns are a cornerstone of modern software development. Using them can improve the maintainability of your Java applications and help you accomplish other tasks more effectively. it's the Part 1 of Jeff Friesen's three-part introduction to design patterns takes a wide-angle view, from the GoF patterns to design patterns used in interaction design, team organization, and more.

Part 1 introduces the concept and use of design patterns, offers some design pattern history and trivia, and ends with a listing of software design patterns by classification. Included with this article is a complete index of design pattern tutorials on JavaWorld.

- Design patterns, the big picture, Part 1: Design pattern history and classification