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. One component may therefore be substituted by another only if the two are type conformant.

A component can be a software package, a program, a code unit,, etc..

Intermediate

HOPEX System Blueprint, HOPEX UML.