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Hello devs, Design patterns are an essential topic for object-oriented programmers, like Java and C++ developers. It becomes even more important as your experience grows because everybody starts expecting a lot more from you in terms of writing quality code.
I often receive emails from intermediate and senior Java developers seeking guidance on advancing to the next level, such as becoming a Tech Lead, Team Lead, or software architect. Knowledge of design patterns plays a crucial role in assuming more technical responsibility.
While the legendary GoF book is the bible for object-oriented design patterns, in my opinion, it is a bit too dry and academic.
Many of you might have already read it, but I doubt you have enjoyed it a lot. The first real book I read on the design pattern was the head-first design pattern book.
It's full of exciting stories, cartoons, UML diagrams, fireside chats to analyze the pros and cons of each design pattern, fill in the blanks, exercises, and, most importantly, some non-trivial code examples.
Another good thing is that instead of focusing on all the patterns, it focuses on a good set of core patterns, like Decorator, Observer, Factory, Command, Strategy, and Facade patterns.
I also found that the Head First book is far accessible than the GoF book. It's a great book and quite informative, but it's not the best read. Since now I have read several books on design patterns, I kind of know which are the best books and why and this list is a collection of that experience.
You can choose one, two, or a couple of books to refresh your knowledge on design patterns or start learning them from scratch.
I have also included books on Microservices design patterns because Microservices is now the most popular architecture for Java applications, and I think every Java developer should know Microservices patterns.
6 Best Microservices and Object-Oriented Design Patterns Books for Software Engineers
So, what are we waiting for? Here is my collection of some of the best books to learn object-oriented design patterns and general design patterns for Java developers.
1. Head First Design Patterns 2nd Edition
This is probably the best book to learn Design Patterns, if you are a Java developer with 2 to 3 years of experience and have never heard of the design pattern.
You can start learning and making sense of them after reading this book. It introduces a design pattern by first explaining the problem and how the design pattern solves the problem. It is not academic and, instead, much more readable.
You will learn about some of the most important design patterns, like the Decorator, Command pattern, Facade pattern, and Observer pattern.
The book is now celebrating its 10th Anniversary, first launched in 2004 and now also updated for Java 8. If you want to purchase just one book to learn the design pattern, then this should be the one.
And I am also glad to tell you that the much-awaited second edition of this book is now also available, which will teach you how to code design patterns using modern Java, as well as many design principles that are essential to create extensible and maintainable object-oriented software.
Here is the link to get this book --- Head First Design Patterns 2nd Edition
The only problem with this book is that it doesn't cover all the design patterns.
So, if you want to learn more patterns after reading this book, I suggest you take a look at this Design pattern in Java course on Udemy by Dmitri Nestruk, who will teach you the modern implementation of classic design patterns in Java.
2. Microservices Patterns: With examples in Java by Chris Richardson
This book dives deep into microservices patterns, providing practical examples using Java. It's also one of the most recommended books on Microservices patterns and one of the must-reads for Java developers.
It covers topics such as service discovery, Event Sourcing, CQRS, SAGA, Database Per Microservices, API Gateway, Circuit-Breaker, event-driven architecture, data management, and more.
Here is the link to get this book --- Microservices Patterns: With examples in Java
And, if you want, you can also combine this book with an online course like Grokking Microservices Design Patterns from Designgurus.io, one of my favorite website for learning System Design and Microservices. This course nicely complements the book.
3. Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
This is the classic GOF design pattern book, which is referred to everywhere. This is the first book that compiled the list of 24 object-oriented patterns and instantly got popular.
This can be an excellent reference book for a design pattern, as it covers all of them and probably in the most detailed way.
The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it's not very readable, which means you will get tired after reading a couple of pages.
On the other hand, you can read many chapters in one go in the previous book, like Head First Design Patterns.
Here is the link to get this book --- Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
In case you have some trouble understanding the text, you can combine this book with the From 0 to 1: Design Patterns --- 24 That Matter --- In Java course from Udemy, which also covers all of these design patterns.
After joining that course and reading this book, my understanding of design patterns improved significantly.
4. Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
This is another excellent head-first book on object-oriented analysis and design from the Head First series, and one of my all-time favorites. If you can read this book before reading the Head First design pattern.
This will teach you OOP basics like why composition is better than Inheritance and why you should program for interfaces rather than implementation.
You should actually read this book before reading any book on Design patterns because it will teach you object-oriented basics, which is the core of any design principle and patterns.
If you have a good idea of what a class, object, function, and how to use Abstraction, Inheritance, Polymorphism, and Encapsulation, you can understand any pattern.
To get the best result, I also suggest you combine this book with the Design Patterns by Kenny Wong on Coursera. It's very comprehensive and provides interactive, real-world examples to understand many more design patterns.
I have personally tried that, and it works really great. The course also provides a lot of practice material that you can use to reinforce the concepts you learned in the book and vice versa.
Here is the link to get this book --- Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
If you want to have a quick look at design principles, you can also check my post about 10 essential Object-oriented principles for programmers here.
5. UML for Java Programmers By Uncle Bob Martin
The UML is an essential skill for any serious Object-oriented programmer, particularly for Java programmers. Why? Because one picture is worth of thousand words, and UML lets you convey the design, which is in your mind to all team members.
When you use UML to design your system, you will also identify gaps and issues in your design early, and you can address them without rewriting your code. It also helps you to develop design skills and improve your clarity of thinking.
The UML for Java programmers by Uncle Bob is what you need to know about UML. It also comes with some design problems, like designing a coffee machine, similar to the Vending machine design problem.
Here is the link to get this book --- UML for Java Programmers
If you need a course, you can also join Software Design and Architecture Specialization on Coursera.
6. Monolith to Microservices: Evolutionary Patterns to Transform Your Monolith
Tearing down a monolith and migrating to microservices is one of the hardest architectural challenges. Sam Newman, one of the top experts in microservices, lays out a practical, incremental approach to make the transition without breaking your system.
What You'll Learn:
- When and why you should (or shouldn't) break a monolith into microservices.
- Step-by-step migration strategies, including strangler patterns and incremental refactoring.
- How to handle data consistency, transactions, and API versioning.
- Techniques for managing microservices in production, including deployment and monitoring.
If you're working with legacy applications or thinking about modernizing your architecture, this book is essential reading.
Here is the link to get this book --- Monolith to Microservices: Evolutionary Patterns to Transform Your Monolith
And, if you want, you can also combine this book with the Microservices Architecture --- The Complete Guide (Udemy) course, it's a really great course and affordable also.
That's all about the best books to learn object-oriented and Microservices design patterns. If you're looking to learn them, nothing's better than Head First Design Patterns --- it's not such an excellent reference text, though.
I wouldn't get too hung up on design patterns. As with most of the good ones, you'll write anyhow if you're a good software developer.
Bad developers may follow the book and turn simple problems into disaster areas. In the era of online courses, you can also combine these books with Design pattern in Java, one of my favorite courses to learn patterns. He really explains patterns well.
One book which is not included in this list because I found it later is Design Patterns in Java by Steven Metsker and William C. Wake. It's an awesome book that teaches you design patterns with the learn-by-doing method.
No book like this presents you with scenarios and asks how you would solve them using a particular design pattern. If you really want to master the design pattern, I highly recommend this book as well.
By the way, if you are a senior developer who already knows design patterns, then you can also check out Head First Software Architecture book, which is a great read for experienced developers like you. It's like going one step ahead from design patterns to software architecture.
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