[virgilp]

> A function is a function but a strategy pattern isn't a state pattern.

Funny you should mention that. What does "state pattern" communicate about the design, that "state machine" does not? Because state machine is a well-established term, applicable across paradigms.

And what can you communicate with "strategy pattern"? I mean, pick a design for solving a problem (any problem), and explain the design in writing using the words "strategy pattern". I bet I can rephrase it to be at least as simple, and use common-language terms that predate the "strategy pattern".

I've heard people try to take this stance before, that "design patterns are a way to communicate your designs", but to me, it doesn't hold water. How do you communicate your designs simpler, with them?