PLoP 96 Activities and Events

PLoP '96 Activities and Events

In addition to the writer's workshops, PLoP will also feature the following events and activities:

Opening Session
Games
Home Groups
Closing Session

Experience with Patterns
Representing and Classifying Patterns
Best of EuroPLoP
BoFs

Opening Session

The opening session will introduce you to the conference. It will include an overview on the conference program, a game with George Platt, and a demonstration of a writer's workshop. The pattern that will be discussed is:

The Null Object Pattern by Bobby Woolf

Null Object describes a special class with a customized interface whose implementation is to provide null behavior. It is designed to be used as part of a hierarchy of classes, all of which have the same interface. Thus the client does not have to specially test for nil; the nil behavior is encapsulated inside the null object.

Games

We will have George Platt with us. George is a ``tangential thinking co-ordinator.'' During the conference he will play some games with us. These should provide a relaxed atmosphere that encourages open communication and discussion, as well as keep you fit and clear-minded for all the sessions.

8. Experience with Patterns

This evening session will include the presentation of several papers that describe the application of patterns to system design. The authors will share their insights into the usage of patterns as well as the results achieved. Each paper will be presented by the author(s) in a twenty minute presentation, followed by a mini-workshop where the moderator will poll the audience for Q&A, aspects of the paper that the audience liked, and areas where the paper could be further refined. The moderators are Kyle Brown from Knowledge Systems Corp (KSC) and Steve Peterson from Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.

8.1 Using Patterns in Order Management Systems: A Design Patterns Experience -- Kyle Brown (kbrown@ksccary.com)
8.2 A Pattern Language for Structuring State-Space Search Applications (abstract) -- Philip W. L. Fong, Edward Kim (kime@cs.sfu.ca), and Qiang Yang
8.3 Using the Strategy Design Pattern to Compose Reliable Distributed Protocols (abstract) -- Benoit Garbinato (bast@lse.epflch), Pascal Felber, and Rachid Guerraoui
8.4 Design Patterns Achieve Reuse in CORBA Systems (abstract) -- Curt McKelvey (mckelvey@wrc.xerox.com)
3.6 The Command class for the Java AWT (abstract) -- Jan Newmarch (jan@pandonia.canberra.edu.au) (this paper originally appeared in the Frameworks and Architectures session).

9. Representing and Classifying Patterns

9.1 Design Patterns at Different Scales (abstract) -- R.J.A. Buhr (buhr@sce.carleton.ca)
9.2 A Formal Language for Design Patterns (abstract) amnon.ps -- Amnon H. Eden (eden@math.tau.ac.il)
9.3 Patterns and Design Adaptability (abstract) -- Carl W. Irving (cwirving@ricis.cl.uh.edu)
9.4 The Graphical Depiction of Design Patterns (abstract) -- Carl W. Irving (cwirving@ricis.cl.uh.edu) and Colin Atkinson
9.5 A Methodology for Constructing a Design Handbook for Object Oriented Systems (abstract) (authors are unable to make it to the conference) -- D Janaki Ram (djram@iitm.ernet.in), K N Anantha Raman, K N Guruprasad and Suchitra Raman

Best of EuroPLoP

In this session, Frank Buschmann will present a synopsis of the best papers from the European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs.

BoFs

Traditionally, PLoP has featured a number of informal ``Birds of a Feather'' (BoF) sessions. Here is a sample of what we'll see at PLoP '96:

Patlets: Hillside Index of Patterns

This session will demonstrate Patlets, which is the Hillside index of patterns that Ralph Johnson and his students have been working on.

Pattern Topics for Graduate Student Research
This session is intended for graduate students who are interested in doing M.S. or Ph.D. research on topics related to patterns and pattern languages. The session will be organized by Tim Harrison.
Patterns Book Signings
There will be many authors at PLoP this year who have written or contributed to various books on patterns. Make sure to bring along your copies of your patterns books and we'll hold a ``book signing'' festival during one of the evening social events.
Writing Patterns Effectively
So you want to be able to write patterns? That's hard. And you want to be able to write them effectively? That's even harder!
Here are just some of the issues you need to consider:
- What is a pattern: A recurring solution? Or the documentation of one?
- What is the difference between a pattern language, a pattern, an idiom, a rule-of-thumb, etc.?
- Which pattern format is best: Alexander's? Gang of Four's? Another? Your own?
- How should patterns be named? Do we need a clearing committee?
- Which is better: A stand-alone pattern or a pattern language?
- What content must a pattern have to be a pattern?
- How many separate examples are required for a pattern to be a pattern? What counts as separate examples?
This BoF will not be a lecture by me (or anyone else) on how to write patterns. It will be a discussion amongst pattern writers about the process of writing patterns.
You do not have to qualify to attend this BoF. All conference attendees are welcome. However, you will have to qualify to make a presentation. If you have some strong opinions about How to Write Effective Patterns and would like to make a 5-10 minute presentation, send me an outline (bwoolf@ksccary.com).

If you have any suggestions for BoFs please let Brian Foote or Doug Schmidt know soon.

Closing Session

The closing session will include a short presentation about major homegroup results and give a general wrap-up of the conference. We'll also ask for your feedback regarding your experiences at the conference (i.e., do a writer's workshop on the conference ;-)) to determine how we can improve the content and form next time. In addition, we will discuss plans for the PLoP '96 book.

Back to PLoP '96 home page.