There is a general feeling in the pattern community that the current representation of pattern languages is not mature enough. At the same time there is agreement that imposing a very rigorous format on pattern languages may limit the creativity of pattern writers, and the collaborative spirit that the pattern community has enjoyed in the past. Nevertheless, the feeling remains that something is missing from the current format that restricts the immediacy with which pattern languages can be understood. This becomes a much more pressing concern as the number of published patterns and pattern languages grows, and it
is increasingly hard for designers to select patterns.

This Hot Topic will look at the best way to represent patterns so we can form a network of related patterns. The goal is to obtain a richer, more expressive representation of pattern languages that promotes creativity and collaborative spirit without sacrificing
understandability. At the same time we would like to support the designer's task of selecting patterns from an increasingly large number of patterns and pattern languages, and to ensure the traceability of pattern application.

For more information on this Hot Topic, please see the workshop home page: http://www.scs.carleton.ca/~weiss/calls/chiliplop-03.html

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the workshop organizers:
Michael Weiss and Ivan Araujo
School of Computer Science, Carleton University
Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
weiss@scs.carleton.ca or araujoij@yahoo.com