Say What? Ubiquitous Language and You! (PHP Benelux 2015)

When you discuss a project with other people involved with a project in any capacity are you ever absolutely certain that they understand exactly what you’ve said? If you haven’t paid super close attention to naming chances are you can’t be certain! What if you could all speak the same language? One of the core Domain-Driven Design (DDD) tools is the Ubiquitous Language. By paying close attention to how domain experts (people intimately familiar with how a specific part of a business actually runs) you will start learning critical information that you can use to help ensure that your code more accurately models the business processes it represents. While this is an important part of practicing DDD the idea behind the Ubiquitous Language can be applied to almost any project to help keep everyone involved on the same page!

Transcript

1. Say What? Ubiquitous Language and You! PHP Benelux 2015 Beau Simensen joind.in/13183 joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
2. Ubiquitous Language joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
3. It gets (and keeps!) EVERYONE on the same page joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
4. Ubiquitous Language addresses the Impedance Mismatch between Domain Experts & Developers joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
5. Ubiquitous Language and You! • Where did Ubiquitous Language originate? • What is Ubiquitous Language? • How do you "do" Ubiquitous Language? joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
6. Where did Ubiquitous Language originate? joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
7. Eric Evans Domain-Driven Design Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software Also sometimes known as "The Blue Book" joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
8. Ubiquitous Language was the FIRST Pattern Discussed joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
9. Ubiquitous Language is Foundational to implementing Domain-Driven Design joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
10. Ubiquitous Language must be a part of EVERY DISCUSSION joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
11. Ubiquitous Language must be a part of EVERY DIAGRAM joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
12. In Domain-Driven Design EVERYTHING revolves around your Ubiquitous Language joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
13. Vaughn Vernon Implementing Domain-Driven Design Also sometimes known as "The Red Book" joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
14. If there is a single "invention" Evans delivers to the software development community, it is the Ubiquitous Language. — Vaughn Vernon, "Implementing Domain-Driven Design" joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
15. Both Evans & Vernon tackle Ubiquitous Language First joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
16. DDD isn’t first and foremost about technology. — Vaughn Vernon, "Implementing DDD" joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
17. In its most central principles, DDD is about discussion, listening, understanding, discovery, and business value, all in an effort to centralize knowledge. — Vaughn Vernon, "Implementing Domain-Driven Design" joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
18. Wait, I thought DDD was all about Entities, Value Objects, & Repositories? — J. Newbie joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
19. nope. joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
20. discussion, listening, understanding, discovery... joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
21. What is Ubiquitous Language? joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
22. WORDS joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
23. Words used to discuss the business process being modeled joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
24. Words used to discuss the business process being modeled (AKA "The Domain") joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
25. NOT vague generalities joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
26. NOT technical jargon joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
27. NOT design abstractions joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
28. Domain Specific Words joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
29. Words used by the WHOLE TEAM when working about the business process joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
30. SPOKEN joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
31. WRITTEN joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
32. DIAGRAMED joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
33. CODED joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
34. TESTED joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
35. The Team joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
36. Domain Experts joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
37. Domain Experts are NOT "Experts at DDD" joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
38. Domain Experts do not need to be "EXPERTS" joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
39. Domain Experts are simply people who are familiar with the domain joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
40. Developers joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
41. Adhering to Ubiquitous Language may be hard for developers joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
42. Must fight their instincts to speak in abstractions (and of course technical jargon) joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
43. Must write code in the Ubiquitous Language joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
44. Must listen to the Domain Experts joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
45. Ubiquitous Language is not set in stone joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
46. Your project's Ubiquitous Language is a living language joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
47. The whole team should commit to using and maintaining its Ubiquitous Language joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
48. Ubiquitous Language can help you EXPLORE YOUR DOMAIN joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
49. Ubiquitous Language can help you MAKE THE IMPLICIT EXPLICIT joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
50. Ubiquitous Language can help you REVEAL HIDDEN CONCEPTS joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
51. Ubiquitous Language can help you DISCOVER AWKWARDNESS joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
52. Ubiquitous Language can help you EXPOSE CONTRADICTONS joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
53. Improve Communication joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
54. Minimize Translation joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
55. Minimize Frustration joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
56. Increase Understanding joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
57. Come closer to Modeling Reality joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
58. Ubiquitous != Universal joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
59. Ubiquitous Language has boundaries: Bounded Contexts (another strategic pattern from Domain-Driven Design) joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
60. If a word makes sense to one Domain Expert and no sense to another Domain Expert you might have more than one Bounded Context joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
61. If a word has meaning to one Domain Expert and means something else to another Domain Expert you might have more than one Bounded Context joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
62. It's complicated. — @beausimensen joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
63. Ubiquitous Language is a team pattern joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
64. Ubiquitous Language facilitates discussion, listening, understanding, and discovery... joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
65. Ubiquitous Language is the heart of Domain-Driven Design joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
66. How do you "do" Ubiquitous Language? joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
67. You can apply Ubiquitous Language to any project with any team joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
68. Who doesn't want their code to Model Reality? joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
69. If you want to practice DDD BE INTENTIONAL about Ubiquitous Language joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
70. Lone wolf developers can be intentional too joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
71. $isTeam = $numPeople > ZERO; joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
72. In this case you are the Domain Expert joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
73. Decide and Commit joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
74. Talk to your Domain Experts joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
75. Talking aloud is important as it can yield surprising results joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
76. LISTEN don't just hear joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
77. Make it a discussion joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
78. Go forth and diagram because whiteboards are fun (know what else are fun? post-its!) joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
79. Just remember that the model is not the diagram joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
80. Don't try to diagram all of the Ubiquitous Language at the same time joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
81. Create and maintain a GLOSSARY joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
82. Keep reminding yourself that your Ubiquitous Language is alive joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
83. Be Creative and Experimental joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
84. Don't be afraid to question your assumptions joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
85. If your Ubiquitous Language changes update your code to match to avoid slipping back into translation mode joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
86. Ubiquitous Language without intentional Domain Expert buy-in or: "how I roll with most clients" joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
87. When your Client is your Domain Expert they may not care about Domain-Driven Design joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
88. When your Client is your Domain Expert they will care if get their domain model right joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
89. joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
90. Ubiquitous Language is a team pattern joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
91. Ubiquitous Language facilitates discussion, listening, understanding, and discovery... joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
92. You can apply Ubiquitous Language to any project with any team joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
93. If you want to practice DDD BE INTENTIONAL about Ubiquitous Language joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
94. Questions? joind.in/13183 • Read more about Domain-Driven Design at ddd.io • Follow and Tweet @beausimensen • Listen to me on thatpodcast.io • Learn more at beau.io • Hire me at dflydev.com joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen
95. Impedance Mismatch1 1 The Vietnam of Computer Science, Ted Neward joind.in/13183 • ddd.io • @beausimensen