 
The patterns are ordered in
Alexander's book from largest and all-encompassing, to
smallest and most detailed. He admits this to be a very
linear approach. Our pattern language for the enterprise
must take a less linear approach because there are
parallel systems that design and are designed by one
another. These are not related to one another in any
hierarchical fashion. Even the components of these
categories are sorted more as a matter of convenience
than morphology.
These books are available from our KnOwhere store.
For more information on Christopher
Alexander and hiw work, investigate Professor Nikos Salingaros' web pages
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Each pattern in our pattern language for the
enterprise follows the structure defined by Alexander,
and reprinted below. We've found this discipline to be
very valuable in constructing, challenging and verifying
each pattern. Because our patterns are not nested
together in a hierarchy like Alexander's, we drop the
second context section for each pattern. Also, not all of
our patterns have pictures associated with them, not
diagrams. "The elements of this language are
entities called patterns. Each pattern describes a
problem which occurs over and over again in our
environment, and then describes the core of the solution
to that problem, in such a way that you can use this
solution a million times over, without ever doing it the
same way twice.
"For convenience and clarity, each pattern has
the same format."
PICTURE: "First there is a
picture, which shows an archetypal example of that
pattern."
CONTEXT: "Second, after the
picture, each pattern has an introductory paragraph,
which sets the context for the pattern, by explaining how
it helps to complete certain larger patterns."
PROBLEM HEADLINE: "Then there
are three diamonds to mark the beginning of the problem.
After the diamonds there is a headline in bold type. This
headline gives the essence of the problem in one or two
sentences."
PROBLEM BODY: "After the
headline comes the body of the problem. This is the
longest section. It describes the empirical background of
the pattern, the evidence for its validity, the range of
different ways the pattern can be manifested in a
building, and so on."
SOLUTION: "Then, again in bold
type, like the headline, is the solution--the heart of
the pattern--which describes the field of physical and
social relationships which are required to solve the
stated problem, in the stated context. This solution is
always stated in the form of an instruction--so that you
know exactly what you need to do, to build the
pattern."
DIAGRAM: "Then, after the
solution, there is a diagram, which shows the solution in
the form of a diagram, with labels to indicate its main
components."
CONTEXT: "After the diagram,
another three diamonds to show that the main body of the
pattern is finished. And finally, after the diamonds
there is a paragraph which ties the pattern to all those
smaller patterns in the language, which are needed to
complete this pattern, to embellish it, to fill it
out."
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