Software architecture and design patterns are two related but distinct concepts in software development.
Software architecture is the high-level structure and organization of a software system that defines its components, interactions, and principles. It describes the overall vision and strategy for the system, including its major components and how they interact with each other, and how they meet the system’s functional and non-functional requirements.
Design patterns, on the other hand, are specific solutions to commonly occurring design problems in software development. Design patterns provide reusable templates for solving problems that can be adapted to different contexts and situations. They describe a general approach to solving a specific problem that can be applied in many different contexts.
While software architecture focuses on the overall structure and organization of a system, design patterns focus on solving specific design problems within that structure. Software architecture provides a high-level view of the system, while design patterns provide detailed solutions for specific aspects of the system.
However, software architecture and design patterns are not mutually exclusive. In fact, design patterns can be used as building blocks for software architecture, and architects can use design patterns to solve specific design problems within the overall architecture. By using design patterns within the context of an overall software architecture, developers can ensure that the system is both well-structured and highly functional.