Bounded Contexts and Context Mapping

Tactical patterns model objects inside a domain; strategic DDD decides how to split a large system into pieces that can evolve independently. The central concept is the Bounded Context — an explicit boundary within which a domain model and its language are consistent. Context Mapping describes how those contexts relate. This is often more impactful than any single class design.

Inside a bounded context, the team shares a ubiquitous language — the same terms used in conversation, code and the model. The catch: a word means different things in different contexts. A Customer in Sales (leads, discounts) is not the same as a Customer in Support (tickets, SLAs). A bounded context makes that boundary explicit instead of forcing one bloated shared model.