Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
Domain-driven design (DDD) is a software desgin approach focusing on modelling software to match a domain according to input from that domain's experts.
In terms of object-oriented programming it means that the structure and language of software code (class names, class methods, class variables) should match the business domain. For example, if a software processes loan applications, it might have classes like LoanApplication and Customer, and methods such as AcceptOffer and Withdraw.
DDD connects the implementation to an evolving model.
Domain-driven design is predicated on the following goals:
- placing the project's primary focus on the core domain and domain logic;
- basing complex designs on a model of the domain;
- initiating a creative collaboration between technical and domain experts to iteratively refine a conceptual model that addresses particular domain problems.
Criticisms of domain-driven design argue that developers must typically implement a great deal of isolation and encapsulation to maintain the model as a pure and helpful construct. While domain-driven design provides benefits such as maintainability, Microsoft recommends it only for complex domains where the model provides clear benefits in formulating a common understanding of the domain.
The term was coined by Eric Evans in his book of the same title published in 2003.
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