In DDD, domains can be categorized into different types based on their importance and impact on the business. Here’s a breakdown:
Core Domain
- The heart of the business.
- Represents the unique value proposition and competitive advantage.
- Requires significant investment in development and expertise.
- Examples: Online retail’s product catalog, banking’s core transaction system.
Generic Domain
- Common business capabilities.
- Not unique to the company but crucial for operations.
- Can be purchased as a product or built in-house.
- Examples: User management, payment processing, inventory management.
Support Domain
- Essential but not core to the business.
- Provides supporting functionality for the core domain.
- Can often be outsourced or purchased as a service.
- Examples: Reporting, analytics, security.
Subdomains
- Parts of a larger domain.
- Can be core, generic, or support subdomains.
- Help break down complex domains into manageable units.
- Examples: Order management, customer service, marketing.
Bounded Contexts
- Specific areas within a domain with its own model and language.
- Isolate different parts of the domain to manage complexity.
- Examples: Order processing, inventory management, pricing.
Key points to remember:
- These categories are not mutually exclusive. A domain can have elements of all types.
- The classification of domains can evolve over time as the business changes.
- Understanding the different types of domains helps in prioritizing development efforts and making architectural decisions.
By effectively identifying and managing these different types of domains, you can build software systems that closely align with business needs and deliver maximum value.