What can be considered as a Pattern?

Not every algorithm, best practice or solution might not be considered as a complete pattern. Even if something appears to meet the criteria for a pattern, it cannot be considered as one until  it has gone through suitable testing by others for a period of time. A Pattern should be both a process and a thing.

Proto-patterns: A pattern that has not yet been known to pass the "pattern"-ity tests.

Also, the individuals sharing the pattern may not have the time or interest of going through the "pattern"-ity process and might release a short description of their proto-pattern instead. Brief descriptions or snippets of this type of pattern are known as patlets.

The work involved in fully documenting a qualified pattern can be quite challenging. A pattern may be considered "good" if it does the following:

1. Solves a particular problem: Patterns are not supposed to just capture principles or strategies. They need to capture solutions.
2. The solution to this problem cannot be obvious: The best design patterns usually provide solutions to problems indirectly.
3. The concept described must have been proven: If a pattern is highly speculative in nature, only the brave may attempt to use it.
4. It must describe a relationship: The pattern must describe much deeper system structures and mechanisms that explain its relationship to code.