Can Core Domain span multiple Bounded Contexts?

Question

1)

Evan\'s book, pg. 415:

Also, the critical aspects of the domain model may span multiple Bounded Contexts, but by definition these distinc

Answer 1

1a) In that quote the author is referring to the entire domain, not the core domain. The entire domain can span multiple BCs. The relationship between a BC and core domain can be more complicated. Domains, sub-domains and the core domain are elements of the problem space. A BC is an artifact of the solution space. In reality, they may not always be one-to-one, however that is the ideal.

1b) One should certainly have an idea of what the core domain is when defining BCs. As stated, ideally, they should be one-one. However, a BC may be defined to fulfill needs of of a system in a non-ideal state.

1c) A domain spans multiple BCs but despite explicit boundaries, domain behavior can certainly span BCs. A context map can describe such cross-BC interactions. The quote itself is based around the idea of a domain vision statement the purpose of which is to highlight the value of the core domain and possibly explain the relationship to BCs.

2) Multiple BCs can make use of a single generic sub-domain. I would avoid the term "spans" here because that overemphasizes the importance of the generic sub-domain for the entire domain model.

UPDATE

1b) It may be that a core-domain is implemented with multiple bounded contexts. This isn't necessarily a defect and in some instances is the ideal. It may also be that a single BC contains multiple sub-domains. This is usually not ideal because it likely indicates a conflated BC.

1c) By definition BCs are physically partitioned and shouldn't have direct dependencies. I think this is what the author is referring to. The issue he's highlighting is that you can have multiple BCs at play which warrants explanation, especially when a single sub-domain is addressed.

2a) A signle GS can be used by multiple BCs. This is so because the sub-domain is generic. So the GS doesn't contain the BCs; instead, it is referenced by the BCs.

2b) Having a generic sub-domain "span" the system may be an indication that it isn't really a generic sub-domain, but a core domain. This is not to say that a generic component can't be used throughout the system, quite the contrary. However in that case, the component spanning the system is only a technical axis.

UPDATE 2

1b) Yes a sub-domain is a cohesive component of the entire domain. A sub-domain can span multiple BCs. This can be acceptable because a BC is a solution space artifact and there can be technical reasons or even organizational issues for its existence. For example, in the domain of an online retailer there is a product catalog sub-domain. This would have a corresponding products BC. However, additional functionality regarding product search can be placed into a product search BC. This is still part of the catalog sub-domain, but a new BC for technical reasons. On the other hand, when a single BC contains multiple sub-domains, this can be problematic.

2a) I think I got overly semantic on the use of the word span. A generic sub-domain can be a BC. However, care must be taken to ensure that a generic sub-domain is in fact used in a generic way.

3) Yes. Beyond that, base classes like Money can be implemented uniquely for each sub-domain even if they are used in multiple places. Sometimes copy-and-paste is the best pattern.