F04 CPSC 501 - Advanced programming techniques - Mini Assignment #3

The best designs will use many design patterns that dovetail and intertwine to produce a greater whole. As Christopher Alexander says:

It is possible to make buildings by stringing together patterns, in a rather loose way. A building made like this, is an assembly of patterns. It is not dense. It is not profound. But it is also possible to put patterns together in such a way that many patterns overlap in the same physical space: the building is very dense; it has many meanings captured in a small space; and through this density, it becomes profound.

The purpose of this mini-assignment is to get you to explore the use of design patterns such that 2 or more design patterns are overlapped. The general flow is as follows:

• Identify a problem which can be solved using multiple design patterns. Briefly describe the problem.
• Create a solution to the problem using by 2 or more design patterns. These design patterns must overlap. (If you cannot come up with a design which exhibits this, rethink your original problem)
• Create a UML diagram which illustrates the design. Describe, briefly, how the solution relates to the problem.
• Post on your course website. Email a link to your prof.

Explanation

Design patterns really reduce time and complexity when they are used in conjunction with other patterns. Most people get to the point where they understand patterns individually, but they do not understand how to put them together. This mini-assignment invites you to consider a problem which can be solved using multiple design patterns.

You are not required to implement the solution. Merely to illustrate and describe the solution.

You will post your results on a web page. Your web page must contain the following information:

• The problem
• Your solution UML diagram
• A brief description of the diagram as it relates to the problem.

Presentations

During the presentation day, I will ask for volunteers to present their question to the class. If, at any point, there is more time left in the lecture and there are no volunteers, I will randomly choose groups from my class list. You will be given as much time as you need to present your question, but I would prefer it if you could keep your presentation time below 10 minutes. I also encourage discussion of these questions during the presentation time.

Evaluation Criteria

You will be evaluated based on the information presented in your web page. You must email a link to your web page to the instructor by Saturday, November 20. On Saturday, November 20, I will post a link to all of the designs on my website.

Please note: If there are not enough volunteers to fill the lecture time and your group is chosen to present, you must present or your group will receive a penalty for the mini-assignment.