The Dark Side Of Software: Anti-Patterns (and How To Fix Them)

Introduction

An Anti-Pattern is a proven way to "shoot yourself in the foot." The term Anti-Pattern was coined by Andrew Koenig and it's pretty entertaining to read about it in the "Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software", published in 1994. The author defines Anti-Patterns as 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."

In 1998 the term "Anti-Pattern" became popular thanks to the book "AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis". It defined Anti-Patterns as "specific repeated practices in software architecture, software design, and software project management that initially appear to be beneficial, but ultimately result in bad consequences that outweigh hopes-for advantages."

In the following article, we will learn about the reason why Anti-Patterns are used, the most common Anti-Patterns, and possible solutions that can be used to avoid these Anti-Patterns.

Reasons Anti-Patterns are used

An Anti-Pattern, similar to a design pattern, is a literary form and simplifies the communication and description of common problems. Often Anti-Patterns are a design pattern applied in the wrong context.

In Software Development, the following factors are often the main causes of Anti-Patterns.

• Pressure of time

• Disinterest

• Closed-Mindedness

• Laziness

• Stinginess

• Ignorance

• Pride

Countermeasures To Avoid Anti-Patterns

To counter these factors, software design and development must take the following fundamental forces into account when making decisions about the project:

• Functionality Management
  • Ensure that the product delivers the features while balancing between scope and feasibility.
• Complexity Management
  • Simplify design and solutions to reduce unnecessary complexity of the software. Also, improve maintainability.
• Performance Management
  • Address non-functional requirements like development speed, reliability, and scalability to improve quality.
• Change Management
  • Adopt a flexible strategy to handle new requirements and unexpected changes without restarting the project.
• IT Resource Management
  • Allocate and utilize all technical resources efficiently.
• Technology Transfer Management
  • Plan the adoption of new technologies and ensure smooth integration with existing systems.

Domains of Anti-Patterns

In the previously mentioned book "AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis" the Anti-Patterns are categorized into three different domains which cover most of the common areas where Anti-Pattern can be seen. However, nowadays, additional perspectives and domains were identified or created which also can have different Anti-Patterns.

Software Development: This domain focuses on coding and implementation practices and its Anti-Patterns lead to poor software structure which makes it harder to maintain and extend.

Software Architecture: This domain is about system- and enterprise-level design which often leads to faulty or rigid architectures in the system. This avoids scalability and adaptability for further development.

Software Project Management: This is all about team coordination, resource allocation, and timelines. Often brought about by poor communication and bad leadership resulting in chaos and inefficiency.

Software Operations and Deployment: Anti-Patterns in this domain involve the deployment, monitoring, and scaling of software in production environments.

User Experience (UX) and Design: This domain describes the usability and accessibility of software in which ignoring UX often leads to not meeting user expectations.

Team Dynamics and Culture: This domain focuses on the human side of software development, including collaboration and morale. If not maintained it creates a toxic culture and poor team dynamics which can fail even well-structured projects.

Security and Compliance: In this domain security vulnerabilities and adherence to regulatory requirements are addressed because ignoring best practices or compliance requirements can result in security breaches or fines for the company.

Anti-Patterns In Software Development

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