# Relationship between Tactics and Architectural Styles/Patterns

**In short:** A tactic is a single design decision that influences one quality attribute response. A pattern is a solution to a recurring problem. Patterns are made of smaller tactic-level decisions, like molecules from atoms.

## Explanation

A **tactic** is a design decision that influences how a system responds on a quality attribute. Quality attributes are traits such as security or availability (see Quality Attribute).

A **pattern** is a conceptual solution to a design problem that keeps coming back in a defined context.

A useful comparison: a tactic is an atom, and a pattern is a molecule. A pattern is made of smaller, tactic-level decisions.

Tactics are simpler than patterns. They are also not finished designs. A team still has to realize a tactic through patterns, frameworks and code.

So the two ideas fit together. A tactic names the single decision. A pattern is one way to put such decisions into a concrete structure.

## Example

A team wants a system to survive failures. "Keep a spare ready to take over" is a tactic. The team then realizes it through a pattern, a framework and some code. The tactic stays the same. The realization is where the details get decided.

## Trade-offs

A tactic is simple, but it can have side effects. It may improve its target response while trading off other qualities. A tactic is also not a finished design. The team must still choose how to realize it with patterns, frameworks and code. Those choices add work and further decisions.

A pattern is built from several tactic-level decisions and is then realized in frameworks and code.

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  T1[Tactic A] --> P[Pattern]
  T2[Tactic B] --> P
  T3[Tactic C] --> P
  P --> R[Realized through frameworks and code]
```

## Checks

- Each tactic named in the document is described as a design decision aimed at a quality attribute response.
- The document says how each chosen tactic is realized, for example through a pattern, framework or code.
- Side effects of a tactic on other quality attributes are noted.

## Related

- [Architectural Tactic](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/tactics/architectural-tactic.md)
- [Architectural Pattern](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/styles-patterns/architectural-pattern.md)
- [Architecture Style](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/styles-patterns/architectural-style.md)
- [Choosing and Applying Tactics](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/tactics/choosing-and-applying-tactics.md)
- [Tactic Trade-off Balancing](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/tactics/tactic-trade-off-balancing.md)
- [Layers Pattern](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/styles-patterns/layers-pattern.md)
- [Quality Attribute](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/quality-attributes/quality-attribute.md)
- [Working with Tactics and Quality Attributes](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/tactics/working-with-tactics-and-quality-attributes.md)

## Sources

- [2.5 Design Concepts: The Building Blocks for Creating Structures | Architectural Design | InformIT](https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2738304&seqNum=5) — informit.com, accessed 2026-11-09