The workshop is led by a moderator.

• The group reads the pattern.

   

• The author reads any selection(s) from the pattern that s/he feels is important to explain the pattern to others. The author then becomes a "fly on the wall" and does not participate in the discussion.

   

• Summary of the pattern. Given by any member of the group, not the author or moderator.

   

• Suggestions for the author. These are not criticisms. There is no eye contact with the author. The author's name is never mentioned; all references are to "the author." Begin the discussion with positive comments.

  The group might consider whether the pattern has the "quality without a name" or how the pattern makes the programmer's life easier.

  Others in the group who also "know" the pattern should not try to clarify or speak for the author during the discussion. The pattern should "stand on its own."

  The moderator should constrain the discussion to the pattern at hand, usually with a comment, "point noted" and then proceed with the workshop. Issues can be directed to a parking lot for consideration after all patterns in the workshop have been discussed.

   

• Questions from the author about suggestions from the group. The author should never offer apologies. It can be good for the author to say what s/he "heard" from the group.

  The expectation is that the author is an expert in the area and will act appropriately to suggestions. There is no need to "check" on whether the suggestions are taken to heart. However, the author can request a second workshop as a helpful next step.

   

• Thank the author. The moderator should call for applause to recognize the author's contribution.

One of the observations from Jim Coplien's writers' workshop held at AG, was that everyone could be a pattern writer. One suggested method for "patterns mining" is the following:

• A contributor should attempt to answer the questions: What knowledge would be lost to the company if I were to leave tomorrow? What do I know that I have done a thousand times that I think everyone already knows?

   

• Contact Linda Rising, who will assign a "patterns shepherd" - someone who understands the "pattern form" and has been through a writers' workshop - who will guide the writer through the writing of the pattern.

   

• When the pattern has been crafted, the author should attend a writers' workshop, where the patterns shepherd may serve as moderator.

   

• After the workshop, the author should update the pattern to reflect the suggestions made in the workshop.

   

• After the pattern has been modified, the pattern should be publicly posted for comments by all members of the development community. All patterns are living documents that grow and evolve to more useful forms.

   

• After a suitable exposure, the pattern could become part of a "Best Practices Handbook." Collections of patterns from this handbook could be part of the standard training program for new hires.

How do you get ideas for patterns? The folks at AG use pattern mining to get ideas for patterns, which they then improve using a writers' workshop.

Useful sources for writing patterns which can appear on the web.

Writing Patterns

• Doug Lea's contributed checklist to help write great patterns.
• A Pattern Language for Pattern Writing by Gerard Meszaros and Jim Doble.

Templates

Save the following pages as source from your WWW browser and fill in the blanks.

Doug Lea's html template .
The Gang of Four's Template .
AG's HTML template.