Learn software concepts - Software Components

Components are the software units that are context independent, both in the conceptual and the technical domain. A component contain a self-contained entity that exports functionality to its environment and also imports functionality from its environment using well defined and open interfaces. Components may support their integration into the surrounding by providing mechanics such as configuration functionality.

Software components can also be characterized based on their use in the CBSE process. In addition to COTS components, the CBSE process yields :
- Qualified components: Assessed by software engineers to ensure that not only functionality, but also performance, reliability, usability, and other quality factors conform to the requirements of the system/product to be built.
- Adapted components: Adapted to modify (wrapping) unwanted or undesired characteristics.
- Assembled components: integrated into an architectural style and interconnected with an appropriate component infrastructure that allows the components to be coordinated and managed effectively.
- Updated components: replacing existing software as new versions of components become available.

Software Component :
A software component simply cannot be differentiated from other software elements by the programming language used to implement the component. The difference lies in how software components are used.

Component model :
A component model defines specific interaction and composition standards. A component model implementation is the dedicated set of executable software elements required to support the execution of components that conform to the model. The standards have to contain a set of elements or services which are shown in the following alignment :
- Interfaces: Specification of component behavior and properties; definition of Interface Description Languages (IDL).
- Naming: Global unique names for interfaces and components.
- Meta data: Information about components, interfaces, and their relationships; APIs to services providing such information.
- Interoperability: Communication and data exchange among components from different vendors, implemented in different languages.
- Customization: Interfaces for customizing components.
- Composition: Interfaces and rules for combining components to create larger structures and for substituting and adding components to existing structures.
- Evolution Support: Rules and services for replacing components or interfaces with newer versions.
- Packing and Deployment: Packing implementation and resources needed for installing and configuring a component.

Reuse of Components :
The main purpose of software components is software reuse. The main types of software reuse are white-box reuse and black-box reuse. White-box reuse means that the source of a software component is fully available. Black-box reuse is based on the principle of information hiding. Software components are reused in general through black-box reuse. Components hide the inner working as much as possible.