Pattern and Spoiled Pattern Detection Through an Information Retrieval Approach

Design patterns provide for a higher software quality and a reduced development cost. However, to reach these benefits, designers are expected to have a good understanding and experience with design patterns, which is not evident to acquire. Another way to benefit from design patterns is by assisting designers in their detection/identification within a given design in order to improve it. Since the exact structural instantiation of a pattern is less frequent to find within a design, the identification process should account for variations of the design with respect to the pattern.