Anti Patterns Catalog

"Catalog" is a technical term in the PatternCommunity: a list of patterns is called a catalog.

This catalog lists AntiPatterns in two ways:

• General alphabetic classification
• Categorical listing of AntiPatterns with the following sections available
  • ArchitectureAntiPatterns (see also CategoryArchitectureAntiPattern)
  • DevelopmentAntiPatterns (see also CategoryDevelopmentAntiPattern and DevelopmentAntiPatternRoadMap)
  • GreyPatterns
  • ManagementAntiPatterns (see also CategoryManagementAntiPattern and ManagementAntiPatternRoadMap)
  • UserInterface AntiPatterns
  • OrganizationalAntiPatterns (see also CategoryOrganizationalAntiPattern)

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Nota bene

• To add an AntiPattern to the catalog, please read the AddAntiPatternToTheAntiPatternsCatalog page.
• For comments and discussions, please go to the AntiPatternsCatalogDiscussion page.
• Need your help: pick an AntiPattern in the ListOfAntiPatternsToDocument and document it.

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General alphabetic classification

• AbstractionInversion
• AccidentalComplexity
• AccidentalInclusion
• AddingEpicycles
• AlcoholFueledDevelopment
• AmbiguousViewpoint
• AnalogyBreakdownAntiPattern
• AnalysisParalysis
• AnAthena
• AppointedTeam
• ArchitectsDontCode
• ArchitectsPlayGolf
• ArchitectureAsRequirements
• ArchitectureByImplication
• AsynchronousUnitTesting
• AutogeneratedStovepipeAntiPattern
• BandAid
• BearTrap
• BigBallOfMud
• BlameStorming
• BlowhardJamboree
• BoatAnchor
• CargoCult
• CascadingDialogBoxesAntiPattern
• ContinuousObsolescence
• ConfusionOfObjectives
• ControlFreak
• CopyAndPasteProgramming
• CornCob
• CoverYourAssets
• CreepingFeaturitis
• CrciCards
• DeadEnd
• DeathByPlanning
• DecisionByArithmetic
• DesignByCommittee
• DesignForTheSakeOfDesign.
• DiscordantRewardMechanisms
• DoerAndKnower
• DryWaterhole
• EgalitarianCompensation
• EmailIsDangerous
• EmperorsNewClothes
• EmpireBuilding
• ExceptionFunnel
• FalseEconomy
• FalseSurrogateEndpoint
• FearOfSuccess
• FireDrill
• FloatingPointCurrency
• FloatingPointFractions
• FoolTrap
• FunctionalDecomposition
• FungibleTeams
• FungibleProjectManager
• GeographicallyDistributedDevelopment
• GiveMeEstimatesNow
• GlassWall
• GodClass
• GoldenHammer
• GroundHogDayProject
• HalfDoneIsEnough
• HeirApparent
• HeroCulture
• HiddenRequirements
• IdiotProofProcess.
• IfItIsWorkingDontChange
• ImplementationInheritance
• InappropriateTechnicalObjective
• InputKludge
• ItsAnOperatorProblem
• JobKeeper
• JumbleAntipattern
• JunkyardCoding
• KillTwoBirdsWithOneStone
• KitchenSinkDesign
• LavaFlow
• LeadingRequest
• MagicContainer
• ManagerControlsProcess
• MushroomManagement
• NationalIsm
• NetNegativeProducingProgrammer
• NotInventedHere
• NotTheAppropriateProtocol
• NullFlag
• OverGeneralizationOfBusinessLogic
• OverUseOfPatterns
• PathOfLeastResistance
• PassingNullsToConstructors
• PlugCompatibleInterchangeableEngineers
• PoliticsOrientedArchitecture
• PolterGeists
• ReinventingTheWheel
• ReinventTheWheel
• RollYourOwnDatabase
• RequirementsTossedOverTheWall
• RubeGoldbergMachine
• ScapeGoat
• SeagullManagement
• SecretSociety
• SellingaProductYouCantRealize
• ShootTheMessenger
• SingleFunctionExitPoint
• SmokeAndMirrors
• SoftwareMerger
• SpaghettiCode
• SpecifyNothing
• StandingOnTheShouldersOfMidgets
• StovepipeAntiPattern
• StringWithoutLength
• SumoMarriage
• SweepItUnderTheRugAntiPattern
• SwissArmyKnife
• ThatsNotReallyAnIssue
• TheBlob
• TheCustomersAreIdiots
• TheGrandOldDukeOfYork
• TheProcessIsTheDeliverable
• TheyUnderstoodMe
• ThrownOverTheWall
• TowerOfVoodoo
• TrainTheTrainer
• UntestedButFinished
• VendorLockIn
• ViewgraphEngineering
• VietnamWarAntiPattern
• VoodooChickenCoding
• WalkingThroughaMineField
• WarmBodies
• WeAreIdiots
• WolfTicket
• YetAnotherMeetingWillSolveIt
• YetAnotherProgrammer
• ZeroMeansNull

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Categorical Listing

AntiPatterns can appear in more than one category.

ArchitectureAntiPattern (see also CategoryArchitectureAntiPattern)

• AnalogyBreakdownAntiPattern
• ArchitectureAsRequirements
• ArchitectureByImplication
• AutogeneratedStovepipeAntiPattern
• CoverYourAssets
• DesignByCommittee
• DoerAndKnower
• JumbleAntipattern
• KillTwoBirdsWithOneStone
• NotTheAppropriateProtocol
• PoliticsOrientedArchitecture
• RequirementsAsArchitecture
• RollYourOwnDatabase
• StandingOnTheShouldersOfMidgets
• StovepipeAntiPattern
• StovepipeSystem
• SumoMarriage
• SwissArmyKnife

DevelopmentAntiPattern (see also DevelopmentAntiPatternRoadMap and CategoryDevelopmentAntiPattern)

• AccidentalComplexity
• AccidentalInclusion
• AddingEpicycles
• AlcoholFueledDevelopment
• AmbiguousViewpoint
• AsynchronousUnitTesting
• BearTrap
• BigBallOfMud
• BoatAnchor
• CascadingDialogBoxesAntiPattern
• ContinuousObsolescence
• ControlFreak
• CrciCards
• CreepingFeaturitis
• CopyAndPasteProgramming
• DbClass
• DeadEnd
• DesignForTheSakeOfDesign
• ExceptionFunnel
• FloatingPointCurrency
• FloatingPointFractions
• FoolTrap
• FunctionalDecomposition
• GodClass
• GoldenHammer
• GrenadeMessage
• HiddenRequirements
• IfItIsWorkingDontChange
• ItsAnOperatorProblem
• ImplementationInheritance
• InputKludge
• JobKeeper
• JunkyardCoding
• KitchenSinkDesign
• LavaFlow
• MagicContainer
• NotInventedHere
• NullFlag
• OverGeneralizationOfBusinessLogic
• OverUseOfPatterns
• PassingNullsToConstructors
• PathOfLeastResistance
• PhatWareAntiPattern
• PolterGeists
• RequirementsTossedOverTheWall
• RubeGoldbergMachine
• SecretSociety
• SpaghettiCode
• SpecifyNothing
• SingleFunctionExitPoint
• StringWithoutLength
• SweepItUnderTheRugAntiPattern
• ThatsNotReallyAnIssue
• TheBlob
• TheGrandOldDukeOfYork
• TowerOfVoodoo
• VendorLockIn
• VoodooChickenCoding
• WalkingThroughaMineField
• WolfTicket
• ZeroMeansNull

GreyPattern

• IfItIsWorkingDontChange

ManagementAntiPattern (see also ManagementAntiPatternRoadMap and CategoryManagementAntiPattern)

• AnalysisParalysis
• AnAthena
• AppointedTeam
• ArchitectsDontCode
• BandAid
• BlameStorming
• BlowhardJamboree
• CarbonCopyHisManager
• ConfusionOfObjectives
• CornCob
• DeathByPlanning
• DecisionByArithmetic
• DiscordantRewardMechanisms
• DryWaterhole
• EgalitarianCompensation
• EmailIsDangerous
• EmperorsNewClothes
• EmpireBuilding
• FalseSurrogateEndpoint
• FireDrill
• FungibleTeams
• FungibleProjectManager
• GiveMeEstimatesNow
• GlassWall
• HalfDoneIsEnough
• HeirApparent
• HeroCulture
• HiddenRequirements
• IfItIsWorkingDontChange
• IdiotProofProcess
• InappropriateTechnicalObjective
• ItsNotRocketScience
• LeadingRequest
• ManagerControlsProcess
• MushroomManagement
• NetNegativeProducingProgrammer
• PlugCompatibleInterchangeableEngineers
• ScapeGoat
• SeagullManagement
• SellingaProductYouCantRealize
• ShootTheMessenger
• SmokeAndMirrors
• SpecifyNothing
• StandingOnTheShouldersOfMidgets
• TheCustomersAreIdiots
• TheProcessIsTheDeliverable
• TheyUnderstoodMe
• ThrownOverTheWall
• TrainTheTrainer
• ViewgraphEngineering
• VietnamWarAntiPattern
• WarmBodies
• WeAreIdiots
• YetAnotherMeetingWillSolveIt
• YetAnotherProgrammer

UserInterface AntiPatterns

• CascadingDialogBoxesAntiPattern
• PhatWareAntiPattern

OrganizationalAntiPatterns (see also CategoryOrganizationalAntiPattern)

• ArchitectsDontCode
• ArchitectsPlayGolf
• CargoCult
• FalseEconomy
• FearOfSuccess
• GeographicallyDistributedDevelopment
• SoftwareMerger
• UntestedButFinished

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See also:

• AntiPattern
• AntiPatternTemplate
• AntiPatternsBook

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CategoryAntiPattern CategoryCatalog