In many situations, a single event could trigger a series of actions and each will perform a specific function. So, pipe and filter patterns are used to handle such situations that require complex processing of messages while maintaining flexibility and independence. A large task is split into a series of smaller, sequential, independent tasks (filters) that are connected by channels (pipes). The diagram of the pipe and filter pattern is depicted as follows:

Each filter has a simple interface that consists of an inbound pipe that receives, processes, and publishes the result to the outbound pipe. The role of a pipe is to connect one filter to the next. In the case of the pipe and filter pattern, all components use the same external interface, and hence they can be present in different solutions. These solutions can be interconnected by means of different pipes. The connection outlet that provides a connection between the pipe and filter is called a port. Typically, each filter has one input port and one output port.