Is Using Design Patterns Considered Copying?
28 Nov 2018
When I first hear the question “what are design patterns?”, the first thing that comes to mind is the most general idea and probably the most ignorant answer “it’s a type of pattern that you design or create”. This answer may be the same for other people, but as I started to think about it more I then came to the realization that this represents a type of template that most computer science majors use. Unlike the usual code that you create from scratch, a design pattern is more of a template that has the basic code layout that anyone could use and you can add or alter the template to your liking. Another way to look at this is you have a video game that offers a certain amount of content, then the creators release new content for that game to satisfy not only their main consumers but to target other consumers that might be interested in their content.
After taking ICS 314 I only now realized that we’ve been using a design pattern almost throughout the class, from the start of using HTML to using meteor we would use a basic template, where we would then alter the code in order to complete our given task. A specific example of these occurrences would be our weekly WODs, we would be given a website and we would have to alter the meteor template or the code that we were given earlier in the week and we would have to model our own copy of the website to the original one that professor Johnson gives us. However, the biggest question I think that should be addressed is “Is this considered as copying?”, to this, I would have to say no.
Now, in my opinion, my answer would be no because in this situation this is a template for you to use and if you give the creator the recognition and credit that they deserve then it shouldn’t be looked at as plagiarism. I do however, believe that there is a grey area in this topic because some may consider that if it’s not your work and you’re using it then it’s copying or even plagiarism, while others are more accepting of the concept that it’s a basic template for others to use and if you change it then you’re not copying. Whereas, my standpoint I believe that you need to give the person credit no matter what the situation is.