Third European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programming and Computing Focus Groups

This year's EuroPLoP introduces a number of afternoon workshops that focus on some specific aspect of using, capturing or describing patterns. To differentiate them from the writer's and writing workshops we have called these sessions 'Focus Groups'. We have five focus groups covering a wide range of interesting patterns-related topics. You are encouraged to visit the web-sites for each of these sessions as some require that you do preparation before hand or bring some material with you.

Hirt und Schaff: Techniques of Shepherding

Neil B. Harrison

An essential process in the course of preparing patterns for workshops is the shepherding process. Sooner or later, nearly everyone in the patterns community is involved -- either as a shepherd or as a sheep! In this workshop, we will explore how to be a good shepherd. Equally importantly, we will discuss how to receive the advice from the shepherd; in other words, how to be a good sheep.

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Pattern-Aided Software Documentation

Georg Odenthal and Klaus Quibeldy-Cirkel

Where software is a company's main asset, two problems become vital:

1. How can a company's design knowledge and experience be preserved from brain drain?
2. How can we effectively integrate a newcomer into a design team, i.e. how can we shorten the learning process?

It is well known that these problems are closely related to widespread negligence of effective software documentation. Where can newcomers find and understand a design decision underlying some code fragments? What are the invariant parts and where to look for the variant spots of the design model? This workshop will look at these and other issues and also at the alternatives to a document-centred approach such as Extreme Programming.

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Problems of a Software Architect

Charles Weir

We don't really understand yet how to be Software Architects. So far there's only a tiny body of literature describing the knowledge and experience of those who've made a success of the job.

Yet the role of software architect does exist. Most of the delegates to EuroPLoP 1998 will, at least some of the time, fulfil this role. This workshop will share experience and knowledge between us; the output may be a basis for hatching patterns of successful architectural practice for the future.

In this workshop we'll concentrate on some of the problems we may all have faced doing this role, and see what solutions have worked for us. Some groups may choose to look at technical architectural issues; others at organisational issues. We'll expect interesting results from both.

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Interdisciplinary Workshop

Jim Coplien and George Platts

Last year at EuroPLoP, Jim Coplien gave a presentation about Alexander's Nature of Order series that will soon be published. This work is an outgrowth of patterns based on aesthetics and geometry. Since last year, there has been progress figuring out what geometry and beauty mean to software.

Also, at last year's PLoP, George Platts ran two pattern-sketching-writing workshops. These were a lot of fun and enjoyed by all who attended.

Imagine what it would be like to do both of these together...

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GoF Pursuit - Playing with Patterns

James Noble and Charles Weir

By distilling existing best practice in software development into manageable pieces, Patterns allow us to learn software design from the experience of others, rather than from our own mistakes. Unfortunately experience has shown that patterns are difficult to learn using conventional techniques. GOF Pursuit is a "Trivial-Pursuit" style game designed to help practitioners learn the basic details of all the patterns in the "Design Patterns" book. This focus group will teach you how to play and organise GOF Pursuit games, help you learn (or encourage you to re-learn) the patterns, and have fun at the same time.

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