Parallel programming with a pattern language ^*

Abstract.

A design pattern is a description of a high-quality solution to a frequently occurring problem in some domain. A pattern language is a collection of design patterns that are carefully organized to embody a design methodology. A designer is led through the pattern language, at each step choosing an appropriate pattern, until the final design is obtained in terms of a web of patterns. This paper describes a pattern language for parallel application programs aimed at lowering the barrier to parallel programming by guiding a programmer through the entire process of developing a parallel program. We describe the pattern language, present two example patterns, and sketch a case study illustrating the design process using the pattern language.