Pipeline architecture in software development

Pipeline Architecture (also called Pipes and Filters) is a design pattern where data flows through a series of processing units, called filters, connected by pipelines. Each filter performs a transformation on the input and passes the result to the next stage.

Key Characteristics

• Modularity: Each filter is an independent unit.
• Reusability: Filters can be reused in different pipelines.
• Scalability: New filters can be added without affecting existing ones.
• Concurrency: Filters can run in parallel for efficiency.

Structure of a Pipeline Architecture

Example: Implementing a Simple Pipeline in C#

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;

public interface IFilter<T>
{
    T Process(T input);
}

public class UpperCaseFilter : IFilter<string>
{
    public string Process(string input) => input.ToUpper();
}

public class ReverseFilter : IFilter<string>
{
    public string Process(string input) => new string(input.Reverse().ToArray());
}

public class Pipeline<T>
{
    private readonly List<IFilter<T>> _filters = new();
    
    public Pipeline<T> AddFilter(IFilter<T> filter)
    {
        _filters.Add(filter);
        return this;
    }
    
    public T Process(T input)
    {
        return _filters.Aggregate(input, (current, filter) => filter.Process(current));
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pipeline = new Pipeline<string>()
            .AddFilter(new UpperCaseFilter())
            .AddFilter(new ReverseFilter());
        
        string result = pipeline.Process("hello world");
        Console.WriteLine(result); // Output: DLROW OLLEH
    }
}

Advantages of Pipeline Architecture

• Flexibility: Components can be rearranged or replaced easily.
• Maintainability: Each filter has a single responsibility.
• Performance: Supports parallel processing for efficiency.

Pipeline Architecture is ideal for data processing, image transformation, and stream-based applications. Its modular design improves maintainability and scalability, making it a powerful architectural choice.