Generating Software Components from Functions

You can use an assistant to derive software components from functions. It helps you create the software variables, the interfaces, and the software components based on the functions. It also maintains relations between the functional net and the software architecture.

This task shows you how to:

Generate Software Components

You can create a software architecture or reuse an existing software architecture. You can create atomic software components for each selected function.

  1. Right-click a root function and select Generate Software Components.
    The Generate Software Components wizard appears. It contains the hierarchy of the root function in the Functions tree.
  2. To define the software components to be generated, you can use one of the following commands:

    • Default >>
    • Atomic >
    • Architecture >
    • Existing

    Depending on some constraints and the current selection, some nodes are created in the software components tree. Mappings from function nodes to component nodes are created. Based on these mappings, components and dependencies between components and functions, are created in the database.

    Tips:
    • You can customize the names of the created elements, see Generating Software Components from Functions.
    • If a software architecture node is deleted using Delete, all descendant nodes are also deleted.
    • The Rename command lets you change the name of the selected element.

    The Components tree contains the hierarchy of the future software architecture.
  3. To map flows to interfaces and flows to software variables, click Next > and define the generation of the interfaces in the following task.

Generate Interfaces and Software Variables

You can create software interfaces and variables (interchangeably called data elements) for each functional flow between selected functions. The implement links between the created software objects and the originating functional objects are automatically created.

  1. Click Next >.
    In the Generate Software Components wizard, you recover the content of the Components tree.
  2. To define the interfaces to be generated, you can use the following commands:

    • Default >>>
    • Default >>
    • Interface >
    • Existing
    Depending on some constraints and the current selection, some nodes are created in the software interfaces tree.

    Tips:

Software components, interfaces, connections, and data elements are generated.

Define a Naming Pattern

You can customize the naming of created elements.

  1. In the dialog box, click Naming.
  2. In the Naming Rules dialog box, click Add .
  3. In the New Naming Rule dialog box, define a rule:
    Box Name Description
    For transformation Select at least one transformation.
    Do Select among:
    • Add prefix and enter a prefix.
    • Add suffix and enter a suffix.
    • Replace and enter the text to be replaced and the replacement text.
  4. Optional: To create more than one rule, repeat Steps 2 and 3.