Top 9 Software Architecture Patterns Every Developer Must Know!

Prerequisites: Basic understanding of software development principles, object-oriented programming, and database concepts. Familiarity with at least one programming language is recommended. Learning Sequence: 1. Layered Architecture: Begin by understanding the fundamental concept of separating an application into distinct layers (presentation, business logic, data access). Focus on the responsibilities of each layer and how they interact. Practice designing a simple application using this pattern. 2. Onion Architecture: Build upon the layered architecture understanding. Learn how to isolate the core business logic in the center, with outer layers providing infrastructure and APIs. Practice designing an application where the core logic remains unaffected by changes in external dependencies. 3. Hexagonal Architecture (Ports and Adapters): Explore the similarities and differences between Onion and Hexagonal architectures. Focus on the concept of ports and adapters for interacting with external systems. Practice designing a system where different payment gateways can be easily swapped without affecting the core logic. 4. Modular Architecture: Learn how to break down an application into independent, self-contained modules that communicate through interfaces. Practice designing a system with separate modules for different functionalities (e.g., user management, content creation). 5. Microkernel Architecture: Understand the concept of a minimal core system with extensible plugins. Practice designing a system where new features can be added without modifying the core. 6. Event-Driven Architecture: Learn how to design systems that react to events in real-time. Understand the concepts of decoupled systems and asynchronous communication. Practice designing a system with event sourcing and CQRS. 7. CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation): Deepen your understanding of event-driven architectures by focusing on CQRS. Learn how to separate read and write operations for improved scalability and performance. Practice designing a system that uses CQRS for handling commands and queries separately. 8. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): Learn about designing applications as a collection of loosely coupled services that communicate through protocols like SOAP. Practice designing a system with independent services for different business functions. 9. Clean Architecture: Understand how to design applications where the business logic is independent of UI and databases. Practice designing an application where the core business logic remains unaffected by changes in external systems. Practice Suggestions: Design exercises: For each architecture pattern, design a small application (e.g., a simple e-commerce system, a banking application, a content management system) using that pattern. Focus on clearly defining the responsibilities of each component and how they interact. Code examples: Find and study open-source projects that implement these architecture patterns. Try to understand how the code reflects the principles of each pattern. Refactoring exercises: Take an existing application (either your own or a sample application) and refactor it to use one of the architecture patterns. This will help you understand the practical implications of each pattern. Real-world case studies: Research real-world applications that use these architecture patterns. Analyze how these patterns are applied in practice and the benefits they provide. Consider Uber, Netflix, and other large-scale systems as examples.