Component Diagram

A Component diagram illustrates the pieces of software, embedded controllers and such that make up a system, and their organization and dependencies.

A Component diagram has a higher level of abstraction than a Class diagram; usually a component is implemented by one or more Classes (or Objects) at runtime. They are building blocks, built up so that eventually a component can encompass a large portion of a system.

You generate Component diagram elements and connectors from the Component pages of the Toolbox.

Example Diagram

This diagram demonstrates a number of components and their inter-relationships.

Assembly connectors connect the provided interfaces supplied by Product and Customer to the required interfaces specified by Order. A Dependency relationship maps a customer's associated account details to the required interface Payment, also specified by Order.

Component Diagram Element Icons

Icon	Description	See also
	Packages are used to organize your project contents, but when added onto a diagram they can be use for structural or relational depictions.	Package
	A Packaging Component is an element that appears very similar to a Component in a diagram but behaves as a Package in the Project Browser.	Packaging Component
	A Component is a modular part of a system, whose behavior is defined by its provided and required interfaces.	Component
	A Class is a representation of a type of object that reflects the structure and behavior of such objects within the system.	Class
	An Interface is a specification of behavior (or contract) that implementers agree to meet.	Interface
	An Object is a particular instance of a Class at run time.	Object
	Ports define the interaction between a classifier and its environment.	Port
	The Expose Interface element is a graphical method of depicting the required or supplied interfaces of a Component, Class or Part, in a Component or Composite Structure diagram.	Expose Interface
	An Artifact is any physical piece of information used or produced by a system.	Artifact
	A Document Artifact is an artifact having a stereotype of «document».	Document Artifact

Component Diagram Connector Toolbox Items

Icon	Description	See also
	An Assembly connector bridges a component's required interface (Component1) with the provided interface of another component (Component2), typically in a Component diagram.	Assembly
	A Delegate connector defines the internal assembly of a component's external Ports and Interfaces, on a Component diagram.	Delegate
	An Association implies that two model elements have a relationship, usually implemented as an instance variable in one or both Classes.	Associate
	A source object implements or Realizes its destination object. Realize connectors are used in a Use Case, Component or Requirements diagram to express traceability and completeness in the model.	Realize
	A Generalization is used to indicate inheritance.	Generalize