Component Diagram

Icon

The icon is of a diagram with a component in it.

Use

A component diagram supports the modeler when graphically showing the rough structure of the systems and services that are provided or used by sub components via interfaces.

Components and their relationships to each other are modeled for various different purposes.

• Customers can identify what the structure of the completed system will look like at an early stage.

• A structure is set for the system's developers.

• Authors of the documentation and help are given an idea of what to write about.

• Reusability is facilitated by encapsulation of internal details.

Elements in the Component Diagram

The following model elements can be shown as nodes and edges in component diagrams:

Icon	Element	Brief Description
	Package	A package groups a set of model elements into a group and provides a namespace for this group. Packages can contain other packages as sub packages.
	Component	Components are modular parts of a system that are structured so that they could be replaced in their environment by another, equivalent component. A component separates its inner structure from the outside as a module and instead provides a set of interfaces or ports that exist or are required.
	Interface	An interface declares a list of attributes, operations and signal receivers with public visibility. If a classifier provides an interface, this ensures that it realizes all of the interface's operations and implements all attributes in a suitable way.A classifier which needs an interface expects a second classifier that realizes the interface to provide operations and attributes suitable for use.
	Provided Interface	A provided interface is an interface that realizes, and therefore offers, a classifier.
	Required Interface	A required interface is an interface that a classifier requires so it can function.

Example for a Component Diagram

Further Information

http://www.uml.org/