Design-Patterns is a software tool that helps you find and fix common design issues in software. It looks at your code for mistakes called anti-patterns and warns you before these get bigger problems. It also helps reorganize and rewrite your software to make it easier to maintain and faster to run. The tool uses well-known methods from software design, such as SOLID principles, Domain-Driven Design (DDD), and Microservices.
You don't need to be a programmer to use it. This guide will take you step-by-step through the process of downloading and running Design-Patterns on Windows.
To run Design-Patterns smoothly on your Windows computer, you need:
- Windows 10 or later (64-bit recommended)
- At least 4 GB of RAM (8 GB or more for large projects)
- At least 500 MB of free disk space
- Internet connection to download the software
- Basic user rights to install applications
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Click the big pink button above or this link: https://github.com/PPFFP/Design-Patterns
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You will arrive at the software page on GitHub.
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Look for the Releases section on the page. This is often on the right side or under the main project description.
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Click on the latest release version. The release contains the installer for Windows.
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Download the file named something like
DesignPatternsInstaller.exeorDesignPatternsSetup.exe. -
Once downloaded, open the file. You might see a security warning; click Run or Yes to continue.
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Follow the instructions in the installation window:
- Choose an install folder or accept the default location.
- Click Next where prompted.
- When ready, click Install to begin.
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Wait for the installation to finish.
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Click Finish to close the installer.
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Find the Design-Patterns app icon on your desktop or in your Start menu.
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Double-click the icon to open the app.
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On the first run, the app may ask for permission to access your documents or projects. Grant permission so it can scan your files.
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The main window will show options to select your code folder or project files. Click Browse to find your code.
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After selecting your project, click Analyze to start checking for design issues and anti-patterns.
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The software will show a report with detected issues. Each issue will have a clear explanation.
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You can ask the software to suggest fixes or reorganize your code automatically.
Design-Patterns uses rules based on well-known software concepts:
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GoF (Gang of Four) Patterns: These are common design templates that work well. The app checks if you can apply these patterns to improve your software.
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SOLID Principles: These help keep your code easy to change and maintain. The app detects where you break these principles.
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Domain-Driven Design (DDD): This method helps organize your software around the main ideas and business logic. The app finds areas where this structure can be improved.
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CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation): This separates reading and writing data to make the system faster and easier to manage. The app checks if applying CQRS will help.
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Microservices: This breaks big programs into smaller parts that work independently. The app suggests ways to divide your software.
Design-Patterns can analyze popular programming languages and file types like:
.javafor Java projects.csfor C# projects.jsand.tsfor JavaScript and TypeScript projects.pyfor Python projects
It works best with projects that follow common folder structures. The app will guide you if your files are outside of standard layouts.
- Automatically detect common design problems and anti-patterns
- Display detailed reports, sorted by severity
- Suggest refactorings with clear steps to follow
- Generate updated code files ready for production use
- Support for multiple architecture styles: hexagonal, event-driven, and layered
- Ability to re-check projects after changes
- Project Selection: Browse and open your project folder
- Analyze Button: Start scanning the project
- Report Area: View issues, warnings, and suggestions
- Clear explanations of each problem
- Links to terms or patterns mentioned in the explanation
- Option to apply suggested fixes automatically or manually
- Adjust scan depth (quick, standard, deep)
- Choose which design checks to run
- Save and load custom profiles
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If the app won’t start, make sure your Windows is updated.
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If scanning takes too long, close other running apps and try again.
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If permission errors happen, run the app as an administrator:
- Right-click the app icon
- Choose Run as administrator
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For help, check the issues section on the GitHub page or ask in the community.
- Learn more about design patterns and best practices at https://refactoring.guru/design-patterns
- Read about SOLID principles at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOLID
- Explore Domain-Driven Design at https://domainlanguage.com/ddd/
- For CQRS, visit https://martinfowler.com/bliki/CQRS.html
- Check the GitHub page regularly for newer releases.
- Follow the same download instructions as before.
- New versions may contain improvements and fixes.
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Open Windows Settings.
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Choose Apps > Apps & features.
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Find Design-Patterns in the list.
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Click it and select Uninstall.
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Follow the instructions to remove it from your computer.
Design-Patterns is open-source. You can visit the repository to see how it works, report issues, or contribute improvements.
Find the project here:
https://github.com/PPFFP/Design-Patterns
Topics in this repository include: agentic-ai, ai-skills, architecture-patterns, clean-architecture, code-review, cqrs, design-patterns, domain-driven-design, event-driven-architecture, gang-of-four, hexagonal-architecture, refactoring, solid-principles.