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Component
Description
A Component is a modular part of a system, whose behavior is defined by its provided and required interfaces; the internal workings of the Component should be invisible and its usage environment-independent. Source code files, DLLs, Java beans and other artifacts defining the system can be manifested in Components.
A Component can be composed of multiple Classes, or Components pieced together. As smaller Components come together to create bigger Components, the eventual system can be modeled, building-block style, in Component diagrams. By building the system in discrete Components, localization of data and behavior enables decreased dependency between Classes and Objects, providing a more robust and maintainable design.
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OMG UML Specification:
The OMG Unified Modeling Language specification, v2.5.1, pp.208-209) states:
This sub clause specifies a set of constructs that can be used to define software systems of arbitrary size and complexity. In particular, it specifies a Component as a modular unit with well-defined Interfaces that is replaceable within its environment. The Component concept addresses the area of component-based development and component-based system structuring, where a Component is modeled throughout the development life cycle and successively refined into deployment and run-time.
An important aspect of component-based development is the reuse of previously constructed Components. A Component can always be considered an autonomous unit within a system or subsystem. It has one or more provided and/or required Interfaces (potentially exposed via Ports), and its internals are hidden and inaccessible other than as provided by its Interfaces. Although it may be dependent on other elements in terms of Interfaces that are required, a Component is encapsulated and its Dependencies are designed such that it can be treated as independently as possible. As a result, Components and subsystems can be flexibly reused and replaced by connecting (“wiring”) them together.
The aspects of autonomy and reuse also extend to Components at deployment time. The artifacts that implement Component are intended to be capable of being deployed and re-deployed independently, for instance to update an existing system.
The OMG Unified Modeling Language specification, v2.5.1, p.224) states:
A Component represents a modular part of a system that encapsulates its contents and whose manifestation is replaceable within its environment.
A component defines its behavior in terms of provided and required interfaces. As such, a component serves as a type whose conformance is defined by these provided and required interfaces (encompassing both their static as well as dynamic semantics).