Context Mapping
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Context mapping is drawing the diplomatic map of your system — which bounded contexts exist, how they relate, and who's in charge. It's like a political map showing alliances, borders, and trade agreements between your services.
Real Talk
A DDD strategic design technique that documents the relationships between bounded contexts in a system. Context map patterns include: Shared Kernel, Customer-Supplier, Conformist, Anti-Corruption Layer, Open Host Service, Published Language, Partnership, and Separate Ways. The map guides integration decisions.
When You'll Hear This
"Draw the context map before designing any integrations — you need to know who owns what." / "Our context map shows the billing context is upstream supplier and the notification context is downstream consumer."
Related Terms
Anti-Corruption Layer
An anti-corruption layer is a translator between two systems that speak different languages.
Bounded Context
A bounded context is a boundary where a particular model and language applies. 'Customer' means one thing in Sales and something different in Shipping.
Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
DDD says your code should speak the same language as the business.
Ubiquitous Language
Ubiquitous language means developers and business people use the EXACT SAME words for the same things.