We in software development build everything from scratch. How many times have we created the login control? Software engineering researchers have been harping a lot about reusable code, but developers always find it easier to copy and paste than to build a good library (not everyone though). But even if we build libraries they are not designed well enough to fit every scenario that it was planned to handle.
Then came design patterns by the gang of four. It is not a easy read and will not make sense till you can see the pattern. I have it for years and go back to it to see how the threads weave into pattern. Today I came across Yahoo! Design Pattern and UI pattern libraries for web development. Earlier today I watched Atlas being presented by Nikhilk Kothari at Microsoft. It seems there are finally libraries, patterns, and code bases that will temp even lazy programmers like me to use some rigor and discipline in to the development process.
ASP.NET 2.0 also offers such great patterns like the Providers. Are we coming of age? For some it is buzz words like Web 2.0 and SOA but the rest it is a exciting new world and one that is better.