Domain-driven design

Domain-driven design (DDD) is a major software design approach,^[1] focusing on modeling software to match a domain according to input from that domain's experts.^[2]

Under domain-driven design, the structure and language of software code (class names, class methods, class variables) should match the business domain. For example: if software processes loan applications, it might have classes like "loan application", "customers", and methods such as "accept offer" and "withdraw".

Domain-driven design is predicated on the following goals:

placing the project's primary focus on the core domain and domain logic layer;
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.

Critics 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.^[3]

The term was coined by Eric Evans in his book of the same title published in 2003.^[4]

^ Millet, Scott; Tune, Nick (2015). Patterns, Principles, and Practices of Domain-Driven Design. Indianapolis: Wrox. ISBN 978-1-118-71470-6.
^ Vernon, Vaughn (2013). Implementing Domain-Driven Design. Upper Sadle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-321-83457-7.
^ Microsoft Application Architecture Guide, 2nd Edition. Retrieved from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee658117.aspx#DomainModelStyle.
^ Evans, Eric (August 22, 2003). Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software. Boston: Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-032-112521-7. Retrieved 2012-08-12.

[millet2015-1] Millet, Scott; Tune, Nick (2015). Patterns, Principles, and Practices of Domain-Driven Design. Indianapolis: Wrox. ISBN 978-1-118-71470-6.

[vernon2013-2] Vernon, Vaughn (2013). Implementing Domain-Driven Design. Upper Sadle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-321-83457-7.

[3] Microsoft Application Architecture Guide, 2nd Edition. Retrieved from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee658117.aspx#DomainModelStyle.

[evans2004-4] Evans, Eric (August 22, 2003). Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software. Boston: Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-032-112521-7. Retrieved 2012-08-12.

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