Hexagonal Architecture
Noun · Development
Definitions
An architectural pattern (also called Ports and Adapters) where business logic is isolated at the center, communicating with the outside world through defined ports (interfaces) and adapters (implementations). Enables swapping databases, APIs, or UIs without changing core logic.
In plain English: Organizing code so the core business logic doesn't know or care about databases, APIs, or UI frameworks.
Example: "With hexagonal architecture, switching from PostgreSQL to DynamoDB only required writing a new adapter — zero business logic changes."
Related Terms
- Webhook vs. Polling
- Event-Driven Architecture
- Implementation
- State Machine
- Trade-off
- Strangler Fig Pattern
- Event Sourcing
- API Gateway Pattern
- Factory Pattern
- Observer Pattern
- Strategy Pattern
- Builder Pattern
- Adapter Pattern
- Repository Pattern
- Pub/Sub
- Domain-Driven Design
- CQRS
- Clean Architecture
- Backend for Frontend
- System Architecture
- Testability