Context Mapping
Context Mapping is a strategic design technique used in Domain-Driven Design (DDD) to manage the boundaries and relationships between different bounded contexts within a complex software system. It involves identifying distinct subdomains, defining their contexts, and mapping out how they interact through patterns like shared kernels, customer-supplier, or anticorruption layers. This helps teams align software architecture with business domains, reducing complexity and improving communication across large-scale applications.
Developers should learn Context Mapping when working on large, distributed systems or microservices architectures where multiple teams handle different parts of the business domain. It is crucial for preventing domain model conflicts, ensuring clear ownership of codebases, and facilitating integration between subsystems. Use cases include decomposing monolithic applications, coordinating cross-team development in enterprises, and designing scalable systems that evolve with business needs.