Questionnaire Report on Matters Relating to Software Patterns

The development of software patterns is aimed at providing a reliable and reusable framework for resolving similar problems within distinct contexts. For this objective to be accomplished competently, the patterns have to be documented effectively to enable users to comprehend their concepts, and encourage their frequent use. Included within the documentation of patterns must be explicit explanation of their relationship with the known quality attributes (QAs) that they support or hinder, in order to fully satisfy the implementation of the requirements of stakeholders. The variation in description of patterns in contemporary literature makes the explanation of the relationship given above complex and difficult to follow. The eventual result is that developers are deterred from utilizing patterns or that they ignore quality attributes. Either of these scenarios may render the process of development significantly expensive in terms of time taken, and/or attaining required system quality. This paper tries to address the aforementioned problem by identifying the factors that could facilitate or hinder the utilisation of software patterns through an on line questionnaire targeting participants with relevant experience in the field of software/systems development.