Frameworks and pattern languages: an intriguing relationship

The goal of this paper is the comparison between Application Frameworks and Pattern Languages. Frameworks and pattern languages are concepts proposed in the Object-Oriented literature to capture aspects which unify software development and raise reusability from the basic level of components to the higher level of complete architectures. Our experience in developing applications for a specific application domain (e.g. Flexible Manufacturing Systems), has revealed that an in triguing relationship exists between these concepts. The principal contribution of this paper is to show that frameworks and pattern languages complement each other in the software development process.