Component diagram
Encyclopedia
In the Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...

, a component diagram depicts how components
Component (UML)
A component in the Unified Modeling Language "represents a modular part of a system, that encapsulates its content and whose manifestation is replaceable within its environment. A component defines its behavior in terms of provided and required interfaces".A component may be replaced by another if...

 are wired together to form larger components and or software system
Software system
A software system is a system based on software forming part of a computer system . The term "software system" is often used as a synonym of computer program or software; is related to the application of systems theory approaches in software engineering context and are used to study large and...

s.
They are used to illustrate the structure of arbitrarily complex systems.

Overview

Components are wired together by using an assembly connector to connect the required interface
Interface
-Academic journals:* Interface: a journal for and about social movements* Interfaces * Journal of the Royal Society Interface* The Technology Interface Journal-Science:* Biointerface* Interface , boundary surface...

 of one component with the provided interface of another component. This illustrates the service consumer - service provider relationship between the two components.

An assembly connector is a "connector between two components that defines that one component provides the services that another component requires. An assembly connector is a connector that is defined from a required interface or port to a provided interface or port."

When using a component diagram to show the internal structure of a component, the provided and required interfaces of the encompassing component can delegate to the corresponding interfaces of the contained components.

A delegation connector is a "connector that links the external contract of a component (as specified by its ports) to the internal realization of that behavior by the component’s parts."

The example above illustrates what a typical Insurance policy administration system might look like. Each of the components depicted in the above diagram may have other component diagrams illustrating their internal structure.

External links

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