Design Patterns Study Group
We’ve been running a weekly lunchtime session for interested developers on design patterns. I suggest that you do the same, as we have found it very valuable in coming to a common understanding of what each pattern is about, when you might use it and real world examples in our current code.
Somebody made the point today that we seem to have the most debate about what we perceive to be the mostly widely used and understood [particularly creational] patterns. This for me highlights the importance of running these sessions. We use something like the approach outlined here, but announce which pattern/s we will be looking at next week based on what is related / of interest / controversial.
What a great idea
However, that will be helpful to the motivated 80% of your developers who go to sessions and are receptive to new ideas. How do you get “in touch” with the other 20% who arguably have a much greater need for this sort of knowledge?
Disillusionedly yours,
Lasse
PS: that 80/20 split is of course extremely generous…
One way in which we have been ‘reaching out’ is by having the meeting in quite a public gathering space and sounding like we are having fun. Developers who have not attended to start with soon wander over to see what all the fuss is about…
I think that providing doughnuts would have the same effect!