✅ Week 4 – Knowledge Review Checklist
Use this checklist to evaluate your understanding of:
- Design Patterns
- Clean Architecture
- Structured software design
If you can confidently answer YES to most of these,
you have understood Week 4 well.
🧠 1. Core Concepts Understanding
☐ Can I explain what a Design Pattern is in simple words?
☐ Do I understand that patterns are solutions to recurring problems?
☐ Do I know that patterns should not be used unnecessarily?
☐ Can I explain the difference between “working code” and “well-designed code”?
🧩 2. Singleton Pattern
☐ Can I explain the purpose of Singleton?
☐ Do I know how to implement it correctly?
☐ Do I understand why overusing Singleton is dangerous?
☐ Can I explain why Singleton can make testing difficult?
☐ Do I know real-world use cases (e.g., Logger, Config)?
🏭 3. Factory Pattern
☐ Can I explain how Factory reduces tight coupling?
☐ Do I understand why direct object creation (new) can create dependency problems?
☐ Can I create a simple Factory class from scratch?
☐ Do I know how to extend a Factory when adding a new type?
🏗 4. Builder Pattern
☐ Do I understand why constructors become problematic with many parameters?
☐ Can I implement the Builder pattern correctly?
☐ Do I know when Builder is unnecessary?
☐ Can I explain method chaining?
🔄 5. Strategy Pattern
☐ Can I explain what problem Strategy solves?
☐ Do I understand how it replaces long if-else logic?
☐ Can I implement Strategy using an interface and concrete classes?
☐ Can behavior be changed at runtime in my implementation?
☐ Do I understand how Strategy improves flexibility?
📦 6. DTO Pattern
☐ Do I understand what a DTO is?
☐ Can I explain why DTOs should not expose internal models?
☐ Do I know why sensitive data (like passwords) should not be included?
☐ Can I create a DTO from an entity object?
🏛 7. Layered Architecture
☐ Can I clearly explain the role of:
- Controller?
- Service?
- Repository?
☐ Do I understand why Controller should not directly access Repository?
☐ Can I structure a project using proper packages?
☐ Do I understand the concept of Separation of Concerns?
☐ Can I explain how layered architecture improves testability?
🔗 8. Clean Code & Maintainability
☐ Does each class in my project have a single responsibility?
☐ Can I identify tight coupling in code?
☐ Do I know how to reduce dependency between components?
☐ If I add a new feature, can I predict where changes should happen?
🚀 9. Practical Application Confidence
☐ Can I refactor a messy project into layered architecture?
☐ Can I apply at least two design patterns in a real project?
☐ Can I justify why I chose a specific pattern?
☐ Can I identify when a pattern is over-engineering?
🎯 Final Self‑Evaluation
Rate yourself (be honest):
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I can implement and explain everything confidently
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I understand most concepts with minor confusion
- ⭐⭐⭐ – I understand basics but need more practice
- ⭐⭐ – I am still confused about patterns and architecture
- ⭐ – I need to revisit the study material
✅ If You Struggle With:
- Implementation → Revisit Exercises
- Concept clarity → Re-read Study Material
- Architecture structure → Review Assignment & Solution
- Pattern confusion → Practice small examples
🧠 Final Reflection
In 3–5 sentences, answer:
- What changed in how you think about writing code?
- Do you now design before coding?
- What concept still feels unclear?
Good developers write code that works.
Great developers design code that lasts.