design-patterns

name	design-patterns
description	Detect, suggest, and evaluate GoF design patterns in TypeScript/JavaScript codebases. Use when refactoring code, applying singleton/factory/observer/strategy patterns, reviewing pattern quality, or finding stack-native alternatives for React, Angular, NestJS, and Vue.
allowed-tools	Read Grep Glob mcp__grepai__grepai_search
context	fork
agent	specialist
effort	high

Design Patterns Analyzer Skill

Purpose: Detect, suggest, and evaluate Gang of Four (GoF) design patterns in TypeScript/JavaScript codebases with stack-aware adaptations.

Core Capabilities

1. Stack Detection: Identify primary framework/library (React, Angular, NestJS, Vue, Express, RxJS, Redux, ORMs)
2. Pattern Detection: Find existing implementations of 23 GoF patterns
3. Smart Suggestions: Recommend patterns to fix code smells, using stack-native idioms when available
4. Quality Evaluation: Assess pattern implementation quality against best practices

Operating Modes

Mode 1: Detection

Trigger: User requests pattern detection or analysis Output: JSON report of patterns found with confidence scores and stack context

Workflow:

1. Stack Detection (package.json, tsconfig.json, framework files)
2. Pattern Search (Glob for candidates -> Grep for signatures -> Read for validation)
3. Classification (native to stack vs custom implementations)
4. Confidence Scoring (0.0-1.0 based on detection rules)
5. JSON Report Generation

Example invocation:

/design-patterns detect src/
/design-patterns analyze --format=json

Mode 2: Suggestion

Trigger: User requests pattern suggestions or refactoring advice Output: Markdown report with prioritized suggestions and stack-adapted examples

Workflow:

1. Code Smell Detection (switch statements, long parameter lists, global state, etc.)
2. Pattern Matching (map smell -> applicable patterns)
3. Stack Adaptation (prefer native framework patterns over custom implementations)
4. Priority Ranking (impact x feasibility)
5. Markdown Report with Code Examples

Example invocation:

/design-patterns suggest src/payment/
/design-patterns refactor --focus=creational

Mode 3: Evaluation

Trigger: User requests pattern quality assessment Output: JSON report with scores per evaluation criterion

Workflow:

1. Pattern Identification (which pattern is implemented)
2. Criteria Assessment (correctness, testability, SOLID compliance, documentation)
3. Issue Detection (common mistakes, anti-patterns)
4. Scoring (0-10 per criterion)
5. JSON Report with Recommendations

Example invocation:

/design-patterns evaluate src/services/singleton.ts
/design-patterns quality --pattern=observer

Methodology

Phase 1: Stack Detection

Sources (in priority order):

1. package.json -> Check dependencies and devDependencies
2. Framework-specific files -> angular.json, next.config.*, nest-cli.json, vite.config.*
3. tsconfig.json -> Check compilerOptions, paths, lib
4. File extensions -> *.jsx, *.tsx, *.vue presence

Detection Rules (from signatures/stack-patterns.yaml):

• React: react in deps + *.jsx/*.tsx files
• Angular: @angular/core + angular.json
• NestJS: @nestjs/core + nest-cli.json
• Vue: vue v3+ + *.vue files
• Express: express in deps + app.use patterns
• RxJS: rxjs in deps + Observable usage
• Redux/Zustand: redux/zustand in deps + store patterns
• Prisma/TypeORM: prisma/typeorm in deps + schema files

Output:

{
  "stack_detected": {
    "primary": "react",
    "version": "18.2.0",
    "secondary": ["typescript", "zustand", "prisma"],
    "detection_sources": ["package.json", "tsconfig.json", "37 *.tsx files"],
    "confidence": 0.95
  }
}

Phase 2: Pattern Detection

Search Strategy:

1. Glob Phase: Find candidate files by naming convention

   • *Singleton*.ts, *Factory*.ts, *Strategy*.ts, *Observer*.ts, etc.
   • *Manager*.ts, *Builder*.ts, *Adapter*.ts, *Proxy*.ts, etc.

2. Grep Phase: Search for pattern signatures (from signatures/detection-rules.yaml)

   • Primary signals: private constructor, static getInstance(), subscribe(), createXxx(), etc.
   • Secondary signals: Interface naming, delegation patterns, method signatures

3. Read Phase: Validate pattern structure

   • Parse class/interface definitions
   • Verify relationships (inheritance, composition, delegation)
   • Check for complete pattern implementation vs partial usage

Confidence Scoring:

• 0.9-1.0: All primary + secondary signals present, structure matches exactly
• 0.7-0.89: All primary signals + some secondary, minor deviations
• 0.5-0.69: Primary signals present, missing secondary validation
• 0.3-0.49: Naming convention matches, weak structural evidence
• 0.0-0.29: Insufficient evidence, likely false positive

Classification:

• native: Pattern implemented using stack-native features (React Context, Angular Services, NestJS Guards, etc.)
• custom: Manual TypeScript implementation
• library: Third-party library providing pattern (RxJS Subject, Redux Store, etc.)

Phase 3: Code Smell Detection

Target Smells (from signatures/code-smells.yaml):

1. Switch on Type -> Strategy/Factory pattern
2. Long Parameter List (>4) -> Builder pattern
3. Global State Access -> Singleton (or preferably DI)
4. Duplicated Conditionals on State -> State pattern
5. Scattered Notification Logic -> Observer pattern
6. Complex Object Creation -> Factory/Abstract Factory
7. Tight Coupling to Concrete Classes -> Adapter/Bridge
8. Repetitive Interface Conversions -> Adapter pattern
9. Deep Nesting for Feature Addition -> Decorator pattern
10. Large Class with Many Responsibilities -> Facade pattern

Detection Heuristics:

• Grep for switch (.*type), switch (.*kind), switch (.*mode)
• Count function parameters: function \w+\([^)]{60,}\) (approximation for >4 params)
• Search for global access: window\., global\., process\.env\.\w+ (not in config files)
• Find state conditionals: if.*state.*===.*&&.*if.*state.*===
• Find notification patterns: forEach.*notify, map.*\.emit\(

Phase 4: Stack-Aware Suggestions

Adaptation Logic (from signatures/stack-patterns.yaml):

IF pattern_detected == "custom" AND stack_has_native_equivalent:
  SUGGEST: "Use stack-native pattern instead"
  PROVIDE: Side-by-side comparison (current vs recommended)

ELSE IF code_smell_detected AND pattern_missing:
  IF stack_provides_pattern:
    SUGGEST: Stack-native implementation with examples
  ELSE:
    SUGGEST: Custom TypeScript implementation with best practices

ELSE IF pattern_implemented_incorrectly:
  PROVIDE: Refactoring steps to fix anti-patterns

Example Adaptations:

Pattern	Stack	Native Alternative	Recommendation
Singleton	React	Context API + Provider	Use createContext() instead of getInstance()
Observer	Angular	RxJS Subject/BehaviorSubject	Use built-in Observables, not custom implementation
Decorator	NestJS	@Injectable() decorators + Interceptors	Use framework interceptors
Strategy	Vue 3	Composition API composables	Use ref() + composables instead of classes
Chain of Responsibility	Express	Middleware (app.use())	Use Express middleware chain
Command	Redux	Action creators + reducers	Use Redux actions, not custom command objects

Phase 5: Quality Evaluation

Criteria (from checklists/pattern-evaluation.md):

1. Correctness (0-10): Does it match the canonical pattern structure?
2. Testability (0-10): Can dependencies be mocked/stubbed easily?
3. Single Responsibility (0-10): Does it do one thing only?
4. Open/Closed Principle (0-10): Extensible without modification?
5. Documentation (0-10): Clear intent, descriptive naming?

Scoring Guidelines:

• 9-10: Exemplary, reference-quality implementation
• 7-8: Good, minor improvements possible
• 5-6: Acceptable, notable issues to address
• 3-4: Problematic, significant refactoring needed
• 0-2: Incorrect or severely flawed

Issue Detection:

• Hard-coded dependencies (Singleton with new inside getInstance)
• God classes (too many responsibilities)
• Leaky abstractions (exposing internal structure)
• Missing error handling
• Poor naming (Strategy1, Strategy2 instead of descriptive names)

Output Formats

Detection Mode (JSON)

{
  "metadata": {
    "scan_date": "2026-01-21T10:30:00Z",
    "scope": "src/",
    "files_scanned": 147,
    "execution_time_ms": 2341
  },
  "stack_detected": {
    "primary": "react",
    "version": "18.2.0",
    "secondary": ["typescript", "zustand", "prisma"],
    "detection_sources": ["package.json", "tsconfig.json", "37 *.tsx files"],
    "confidence": 0.95
  },
  "patterns_found": {
    "singleton": [
      {
        "file": "src/lib/api-client.ts",
        "lines": "5-28",
        "confidence": 0.85,
        "type": "custom",
        "signals": ["private constructor", "static getInstance", "private static instance"],
        "note": "Consider using React Context instead for better testability"
      }
    ],
    "observer": [
      {
        "file": "src/hooks/useAuth.ts",
        "lines": "12-45",
        "confidence": 0.92,
        "type": "native",
        "implementation": "React useState + useEffect",
        "note": "Correctly using React's built-in observer pattern"
      }
    ],
    "factory": [
      {
        "file": "src/services/notification-factory.ts",
        "lines": "8-67",
        "confidence": 0.78,
        "type": "custom",
        "signals": ["createNotification method", "type discrimination", "returns interface"]
      }
    ]
  },
  "summary": {
    "total_patterns": 7,
    "native_to_stack": 4,
    "custom_implementations": 3,
    "by_category": {
      "creational": 2,
      "structural": 3,
      "behavioral": 2
    },
    "by_confidence": {
      "high": 5,
      "medium": 2,
      "low": 0
    }
  },
  "recommendations": [
    "Consider replacing custom Singleton (api-client.ts) with React Context for better DI",
    "Review Factory pattern (notification-factory.ts) - could be simplified with strategy pattern"
  ]
}

Suggestion Mode (Markdown)

# Design Pattern Suggestions

**Scope**: `src/payment/`
**Stack**: React 18 + TypeScript + Stripe
**Date**: 2026-01-21

---

## High Priority

### 1. Strategy Pattern: `src/payment/processor.ts:45-89`

**Code Smell**: Switch statement on payment type (4 cases, 78 lines)

**Current Implementation** (lines 52-87):
```typescript
switch (paymentType) {
  case 'credit':
    // 20 lines of credit card logic
    break;
  case 'paypal':
    // 15 lines of PayPal logic
    break;
  case 'crypto':
    // 18 lines of crypto logic
    break;
  case 'bank':
    // 12 lines of bank transfer logic
    break;
}

Recommended (React-adapted Strategy):

// Define strategy interface
interface PaymentStrategy {
  process: (amount: number) => Promise<PaymentResult>;
}

// Custom hooks as strategies
const useCreditPayment = (): PaymentStrategy => ({
  process: async (amount) => { /* credit logic */ }
});

const usePaypalPayment = (): PaymentStrategy => ({
  process: async (amount) => { /* PayPal logic */ }
});

// Strategy selection hook
const usePaymentStrategy = (type: PaymentType): PaymentStrategy => {
  const strategies = {
    credit: useCreditPayment(),
    paypal: usePaypalPayment(),
    crypto: useCryptoPayment(),
    bank: useBankPayment(),
  };
  return strategies[type];
};

// Usage in component
const PaymentForm = ({ type }: Props) => {
  const strategy = usePaymentStrategy(type);
  const handlePay = () => strategy.process(amount);
  // ...
};

Impact:

• Complexity: Reduces cyclomatic complexity from 12 to 2
• Extensibility: New payment methods = new hook, no modification to existing code
• Testability: Each strategy hook can be tested in isolation
• Effort: ~2 hours (extract logic into hooks, add tests)

---

Medium Priority

2. Observer Pattern: src/cart/CartManager.ts:23-156

Code Smell: Manual notification logic scattered across 8 methods

Current: Manual loops calling update functions Recommended: Use Zustand store (already in dependencies)

// Instead of custom observer:
import create from 'zustand';

interface CartStore {
  items: CartItem[];
  addItem: (item: CartItem) => void;
  removeItem: (id: string) => void;
  // Zustand automatically notifies subscribers
}

export const useCartStore = create<CartStore>((set) => ({
  items: [],
  addItem: (item) => set((state) => ({ items: [...state.items, item] })),
  removeItem: (id) => set((state) => ({ items: state.items.filter(i => i.id !== id) })),
}));

// Components auto-subscribe:
const CartDisplay = () => {
  const items = useCartStore((state) => state.items);
  // Re-renders automatically on cart changes
};

Impact:

• LOC: Reduces from 156 to ~25 lines
• Stack-native: Uses existing Zustand dependency
• Testability: Zustand stores are easily tested
• Effort: ~1.5 hours

---

Summary

• Total suggestions: 4
• High priority: 2 (Strategy, Observer)
• Medium priority: 2 (Builder, Facade)
• Estimated total effort: ~6 hours
• Primary benefits: Reduced complexity, improved testability, stack-native idioms

### Evaluation Mode (JSON)

```json
{
  "file": "src/services/config-singleton.ts",
  "pattern": "singleton",
  "lines": "5-34",
  "scores": {
    "correctness": 8,
    "testability": 4,
    "single_responsibility": 9,
    "open_closed": 7,
    "documentation": 6,
    "overall": 6.8
  },
  "details": {
    "correctness": {
      "score": 8,
      "rationale": "Implements singleton structure correctly with private constructor and static getInstance",
      "issues": ["Missing thread-safety consideration (not critical in JS single-threaded context)"]
    },
    "testability": {
      "score": 4,
      "rationale": "Hard to mock or reset instance in tests",
      "issues": [
        "No reset method for test isolation",
        "Static instance makes dependency injection impossible",
        "Tests must run in specific order or share state"
      ],
      "suggestions": [
        "Add resetInstance() method for tests (with appropriate guards)",
        "Consider using dependency injection instead"
      ]
    },
    "single_responsibility": {
      "score": 9,
      "rationale": "Focuses solely on configuration management",
      "issues": []
    },
    "open_closed": {
      "score": 7,
      "rationale": "Configuration can be extended but requires modification for new sources",
      "suggestions": ["Consider strategy pattern for configuration sources"]
    },
    "documentation": {
      "score": 6,
      "rationale": "Has JSDoc but missing rationale for singleton choice",
      "suggestions": ["Document why singleton is chosen over DI", "Add usage examples"]
    }
  },
  "recommendations": [
    {
      "priority": "high",
      "suggestion": "Add test-friendly reset mechanism or refactor to use DI",
      "rationale": "Current implementation makes testing difficult"
    },
    {
      "priority": "medium",
      "suggestion": "Document singleton rationale in JSDoc",
      "rationale": "Team members should understand why global state is necessary here"
    }
  ]
}

Constraints & Guidelines

Read-Only Analysis

• No modifications: This skill only analyzes and suggests, never modifies code
• No file creation: Does not generate refactored code files
• User decision: All suggestions require explicit user approval before implementation

Language Focus

• Primary: TypeScript (.ts, .tsx)
• Secondary: JavaScript (.js, .jsx)
• Exclusions: Other languages (Python, Java, C#) not supported

Pattern Coverage

• Creational (5): Singleton, Factory Method, Abstract Factory, Builder, Prototype
• Structural (7): Adapter, Bridge, Composite, Decorator, Facade, Flyweight, Proxy
• Behavioral (11): Chain of Responsibility, Command, Iterator, Mediator, Memento, Observer, State, Strategy, Template Method, Visitor, Interpreter

Performance Considerations

• Large codebases (>500 files): Use --scope to limit scan to specific directories
• Parallel search: Grep searches run independently for each pattern
• Caching: Stack detection results cached per session to avoid redundant package.json reads

Usage Examples

Basic Detection

# Detect all patterns in src/
/design-patterns detect src/

# Detect only creational patterns
/design-patterns detect src/ --category=creational

# Focus on specific pattern
/design-patterns detect src/ --pattern=singleton

Targeted Suggestions

# Get suggestions for payment module
/design-patterns suggest src/payment/

# Focus on specific smell
/design-patterns suggest src/ --smell=switch-on-type

# High priority only
/design-patterns suggest src/ --priority=high

Quality Evaluation

# Evaluate specific file
/design-patterns evaluate src/services/api-client.ts

# Evaluate all singletons
/design-patterns evaluate src/ --pattern=singleton

# Full quality report
/design-patterns evaluate src/ --detailed

Integration with Other Skills

This skill can be inherited by:

• refactoring-specialist.md: Provides pattern knowledge for refactoring
• code-reviewer.md: Adds pattern detection to review process
• architecture-advisor.md: Informs architectural decisions with pattern usage

Reference Files

• reference/patterns-index.yaml: Machine-readable index of 23 patterns with metadata
• reference/creational.md: Creational patterns documentation
• reference/structural.md: Structural patterns documentation
• reference/behavioral.md: Behavioral patterns documentation
• signatures/detection-rules.yaml: Regex patterns and heuristics for detection
• signatures/code-smells.yaml: Mapping from code smells to applicable patterns
• signatures/stack-patterns.yaml: Stack detection rules and native pattern equivalents
• checklists/pattern-evaluation.md: Quality evaluation criteria and scoring guidelines

Version

Skill Version: 1.0.0 Pattern Coverage: 23 GoF patterns Supported Stacks: 8 (React, Angular, NestJS, Vue, Express, RxJS, Redux/Zustand, ORMs) Last Updated: 2026-01-21