EuroPLoP 2010
15th European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs
July 7-11, 2010
Irsee Monastery, Bavaria, Germany

http://www.hillside.net/europlop
EuroPLoP is the premier European conference on patterns. The
conference offers a variety of workshops that allow you to learn about
patterns, to receive feedback on your own work, and to discuss with
fellow enthusiasts. It is a unique venue to exchange knowledge about
best practices and learn from other experts in various fields.

EuroPLoP 2010 will be held July 7-11, 2010 in the Irsee Monastery,
Germany. Join us for an experience that will combine outstanding
technical events with a visit to the lovely Bavarian countryside.

EuroPLoP accepts papers containing patterns or pattern languages as
well as experience reports and papers related to the theory and use of
patterns. This year we will widen the traditional focus of EuroPLoP by
including a new track on best practices that do not need to be in
patterns form.

Papers submitted to EuroPLoP cover a wide range of subjects, from
technical issues, like Java coding techniques, to social and
organization issues such as environmental damage. In previous years,
papers have clustered around subjects such as:

- Software development: design, architecture, management and processes
- Human computer interaction (user-interface aspects and novel modes
of interaction)
- Pedagogy and Education (both professional training and classroom
teaching)
- Business and organizational questions

Submission Categories
Submissions should fall into one of the following categories:

Pattern papers
Short papers (5 to 10 pages) containing one or more patterns. Longer
pattern languages or sequences and work-in-progress papers will also
be considered for inclusion. All accepted papers will receive in-depth
shepherding by an experienced pattern author before the conference.
Papers may receive further shepherding at the conference itself.

Papers on applying patterns
Papers on the application of patterns in practice. The focus of these
papers should be on applications of patterns in industrial projects,
as well as on systematizing the application of patterns. They should
stimulate a general discussion on how to disseminate the patterns
literature more widely in higher education and training. This track
hopes to provide visibility to research attempts for integrating
patterns in software engineering industrial practices.

Best practices papers
In the past, papers submitted to EuroPLoP had to be patterns, pattern
languages or papers about how patterns are applied. Patterns are
proven solutions to recurring problems. In addition, they also require
a certain form to be used (one of the "pattern forms"). Generally,
patterns are regarded as literature in the sense that the author makes
sure that the text is readable, pleasing to the eye and well
structured. This year we will also accept papers that remove one of
the characteristics of patterns: the pattern form. We still expect
well written, easily readable papers about best practices in software
engineering, but they can be written, for example, as essays or in a
more classical article or paper style. The reason for this additional
track is that experience shows that sometimes pattern papers feel
"artificial" in the sense that the content and writing style is very
good, but forcing it into a pattern form does not seem to add to the
paper. With this track, we want to provide more freedom for this kind
of writing.

Focus group proposals
Focus groups are free-format discussion groups or workshops lasting
approximately three hours. They are designed to bring together people
who are interested in a challenging topic related to patterns or
proven practices. Non-conventional ideas such as goldfish bowls are
welcome. Focus Group proposals are invited in advance of the
conference. Those submissions considered relevant and of sufficient
quality will be provisionally accepted to the conference. As in 2009,
participants attending the conference will be invited to propose
additional focus groups for the final day of the conference which will
be conducted in an open source format. Three focus groups will be
accepted and scheduled prior to the conference start. Three more focus
groups will be agreed by participants once the conference has started.
These will be chosen from the remaining provisional accepted groups
and additional ones proposed at the conference. The remaining
provisional selection will be held until the conference begins.
Participants will be given the opportunity to propose additional focus
groups. The final selection will be made at the conference by the
participants.

Conference Structure
The core of EuroPLoP is a series of writers' workshops where authors
work together to improve their papers. Before patterns or other papers
are accepted for a writers' workshop, they are shepherded (non-
anonymously). This means that an experienced author will discuss your
submission with you, so that you can refine your paper prior to the
conference. All submissions will be peer-reviewed.

Post shepherding papers may be accepted directly into a conference
workshop, or into a writing group. Writing Group papers will receive
additional face-to-face shepherding at the conference itself. Writing
Group papers reaching the required standard will be considered for
workshop review on the final day of the conference.

The EuroPLoP proceedings are published after the conference.

Papers discussed at a writer's workshop at this conference qualify for
submission to the new journal Transactions on Pattern Languages of
Programming published by Springer.

Submission Procedure

There is a three stage submission process:

- Initial submissions should be made by February 15, 2010. Papers will
be assessed for suitability. Accepted papers are then assigned a
shepherd who will help the author improve the paper for several weeks.
- Half way through the shepherding process, on April 19, authors are
expected to submit a second draft. The paper will be assessed for
quality and the author's willingness to accept feedback considered.
This review will determine whether a paper is accepted to the
conference or not.
- Authors and shepherds are expected to continue working on the paper
until June 15. Final drafts for the conference should be submitted on
this date.
- Authors of accepted papers are expected to register for the
conference before the close of early-bird registration on May 23.
Failure to do so may result in acceptance being withdrawn. In the case
of papers with multiple authors at least one author is expected to
register to attend by the close of early bird registrations.

To submit your paper in the first instance, please visit the
submission page on the EuroPLoP website (http://hillside.net/
europlop). This page will be available in January.

Important Dates
- February 15, 2010: Paper submission deadline
- March 1, 2010: Start of shepherding
- April 19, 2010: Second draft due for review
- May 7, 2010: Paper acceptance notification
- May 23, 2010: Closing date for early registration
- June 15, 2010: End of shepherding
- June 22, 2010: Conference draft version due
- July 7-11, 2010: Conference
- December 2010: Proceedings version due

Conference Organization
Program Chair: Michael Weiss, Carleton University, Canada,
weiss@sce.carleton.ca
Conference Chair: Paris Avgeriou, University of Groningen,
Netherlands, paris@cs.rug.nl

For more information, please visit http://hillside.net/europlop.