Antipatterns are common solutions to common problems where the solution is ineffective and may result in undesired consequences. An antipattern is different from bad practice when:<\/p>\n
The concept of antipatterns was inspired by the concept of design patterns, which indicate common effective solutions to common problems.<\/p>\n
Antipatterns were initially applied in the context of software development, but have extended to other aspects of software engineering, organizations, and project management.<\/p>\n
Coaches and consultants like to invoke antipatterns as a way of pointing out behavior they often see in teams they coach and as an avenue of suggesting better patterns.<\/p>\n
The term has a variety of spellings which, at this writing, seem to be equally prevalent in use. \u00a0Those include anti patterns and anti-patterns.<\/p>\n
These are also known as \u201cbad ideas\u201d, but antipattern is considered a kinder label.<\/p>\n
Other terms used include code smells and design smells.<\/p>\n
1995 Andrew Koenig originally coined the term antipattern in the March \u2013 April 1995 edition of the Journal of Object Oriented Program: \u201cAn antipattern is just like a pattern, except that instead of a solution it gives something that looks superficially like a solution, but isn\u2019t one.\u201d<\/p>\n
1998 Linda Rising reprints Keonig\u2019s definition of antipattern in the\u00a0The patterns handbook: techniques, strategies, and applications.<\/a><\/p>\n 1998 The book\u00a0AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis<\/a>\u00a0popularized the term.<\/p>\n The Wikipedia entry on Anti-Patterns contains a list of commonly referenced antipatterns<\/a>.<\/p>\n Template for describing antipatterns<\/a>\u00a0similar to the patterns template from the C2 Wiki<\/p>\n AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis<\/a>\u00a0by William J. Brown, Hays W. McCormick, Scott W. Thomas and Thomas J. Mowbray<\/p>\n
\nFurther Reading<\/h2>\n