Patent ID: 8661405

Claim:
A pattern implementation method for a software system, comprising: defining a pattern as a software artifact that comprises a pattern signature representing one or more parameters of said pattern and a pattern implementation model representing one or more methods for expanding said pattern in a selected software context by assigning one or more arguments to said one or more parameters; initiating application of said pattern by creating an instance of said pattern in said software context; creating a graphical pattern template representation of said pattern instance within a graphical representation of said software context, said pattern template representation comprising a window that displays a name of said pattern and contains a listing of said pattern parameters, said graphical template representation window being disposed in a parent window that provides said graphical representation of said software context; said pattern template representation providing a user interface that allows a pattern user to apply arguments to and remove arguments from said pattern parameters and to modify said software context according to said arguments being added and removed; and said user interface being operable to support iterative application of said arguments to said pattern parameters and removal of said arguments from said pattern parameters while modifying said software context as each said argument application and removal is performed, said modifying of said software context resulting in changes to said graphical representation of said software context in said parent window to provide sequential and cumulative user feedback so that a user can visually track the effects of pattern application in said graphical representation of said software context as said arguments are applied to or removed from said pattern parameters in said graphical representation of said pattern instance that is in said graphical representation of said software context.