In modern software development, one of the biggest challenges is preventing business logic from leaking into infrastructure details. To solve this, developers use Layered Architecture as a primary method to separate design intent from technical implementation.
What is Design Intent?
Design intent represents the "What" and "Why" of your application—the core business rules and user goals—independent of whether you are using a SQL database, a cloud function, or a specific UI framework.
The 4-Layer Approach
By organizing your code into distinct layers, you achieve a clear Separation of Concerns:
- Presentation Layer: Handles the UI and user input. It doesn't know "how" the business works, only "how" to display it.
- Application Layer: Orchestrates the flow. It directs the domain objects to perform their tasks. This is where the Intent of a use case is defined.
- Domain Layer: The heart of the software. It contains the Domain Logic and business rules. This layer is pure and has no dependencies on external tools.
- Infrastructure Layer: The technical implementation. This is where the "How" happens—database persistence, API calls, and file systems.
Benefits of Separating Intent
Using these software engineering methods provides several advantages for long-term projects:
- Maintainability: Changes in the database don't affect your business rules.
- Testability: You can test your Design Intent (Domain Layer) without needing to spin up a real server or database.
- Flexibility: Easily swap technologies as your project grows.
"Focus on the 'What' in your Domain, and push the 'How' to the Infrastructure."
Mastering Methods to Separate Design Intent Using Layer Architecture ensures that your codebase remains scalable, readable, and robust against the ever-changing landscape of technology.
Software Architecture, Design Intent, Layered Architecture, Clean Code, Software Engineering, Programming Tips