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When learning about something new, we automatically search our mental archive for other abstractions/models that we've previously built and mastered, to look for similarities that we can build upon. When learning to ride a two-wheeled bicycle for the first time, for example, you may have drawn upon lessons that you learned about riding a tricycle as a child (see Figure 2-7). Both have handlebars that are used to steer; both have pedals that are used to propel the bike forward. Although the abstractions didn't match perfectly—a two-wheeled bicycle introduced the new challenge of having to balance oneself—there was enough of a similarity to allow you to draw upon the steering and pedaling expertise you already had mastered, and to focus on learning the new skill of how to balance on two wheels.
This technique of comparing features to find an abstraction that is similar enough to be reused successfully is known as pattern matching and reuse.As we'll see in Chapter 12, pattern reuse is an important technique for object-oriented software development, as well, because it spares us from having to reinvent the wheel with each new project. If we can reuse an abstraction or model from a previous project, we can focus on those aspects of the new project that differ from the old, gaining a tremendous amount of productivity in the process.
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