I have actually seen a collection of patterns (which
look suspiciously like they were inspired by
ChristopherAlexander)
in a cookbook devoted to soups (can't remember the name...). They did not take the
form of a language. I am interested in developing a
language which can lead me to successfully develop a soup
in constrained situations (such as not enough time or
missing ingredients, utensils or spices).
If I can follow a recipe exactly, then a
PatternLanguage
is less useful. However, any ambiguities in the recipe can be
addressed by the application of patterns.
As always, talking about cooking leads me back to software
development: How about software development pattern
languages that takes into account constraints such as time
limitations or lack of resources?
For example,
JimCoplien's Mercenary Analyst[1] (Pattern 23 in
Chapter 13 of
PatternLanguagesOfProgramDesign) instructs me to hire a
technical writer. A great idea, but what if I can't do
that? Can I continue to cook without that ingredient?
--
ToddCoram