# Pipeline Design Pattern > [!ai]+ Perplexity > > - [what is the pipeline design pattern?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-is-the-Zia3IUdmSxOOtlhF._DI_g?s=c) > > The Pipeline design pattern is a software design pattern that processes or executes a series of steps or stages in a linear sequence. It allows complex tasks to be broken down into smaller, modular steps or stages that can be executed in order. Each step takes input from the previous step, executes its specific functionality, and produces output for the next step. This pattern promotes separation of concerns and improves maintainability by encapsulating each step’s logic in a separate component or class. It also enables extensibility and flexibility as new steps can be added and existing steps can be modified without affecting the overall pipeline[1]. > > The key elements of the Pipeline design pattern include: > > - **Steps**: These are the individual components or classes which perform a specific task on the input data. It's not necessary to add all steps in the pipeline. Some steps can be added or ignored as needed, but some steps are not ignorable[1]. > > - **Input/Output**: The pipeline works with the input and output of any type. The flexibility of this pattern is its main feature[9]. > > The Pipeline design pattern is often compared to the [[Chain of Responsibility Design Pattern]] and the [[Decorator Design Pattern]] patterns. However, unlike these patterns, the Pipeline pattern is flexible about the type of its result[9]. > > In terms of implementation, each step or stage in the pipeline can be represented as an interface or a class with a method to execute the specific functionality of that step. The output of each step could be of any type, and it serves as the input for the next step[3]. > > This pattern is used in various contexts, including machine learning pipeline architecture[2], data pipeline design[10], and continuous delivery[8]. It's also central to certain web development frameworks and is used for algorithms in which data flows through a sequence of tasks or stages[7][11]. > > Citations: > [1] https://levelup.gitconnected.com/design-patterns-implementing-pipeline-design-pattern-824bd2d42bab > [2] https://neptune.ai/blog/ml-pipeline-architecture-design-patterns > [3] https://stackoverflow.com/questions/39947155/pipeline-design-pattern-implementation > [4] https://java-design-patterns.com/patterns/pipeline/ > [5] https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/180212/good-implementation-strategies-for-encapsulating-shared-data-in-a-software-pipel > [6] https://dev.to/rwasik/pipeline-pattern-implementation-with-intermittent-flow-31c8 > [7] https://www.cise.ufl.edu/research/ParallelPatterns/PatternLanguage/AlgorithmStructure/Pipeline.htm > [8] https://www.singlestoneconsulting.com/blog/7-pipeline-design-patterns-for-continuous-delivery > [9] https://www.baeldung.com/java-pipeline-design-pattern > [10] https://mydataschool.com/blog/data-pipeline-design-patterns/ > [11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipeline_(software) ## Links - [PipelineProcessing Design Pattern](https://www.cise.ufl.edu/research/ParallelPatterns/PatternLanguage/AlgorithmStructure/Pipeline.htm)