Building a Model with Compound Components

Controlling Subcomponent Exposure

Another feature that helps in building hierarchical models is the ability to limit the exposure of compound components. Even though the model in Figure 6.4 is nested and allows you to connect to ports, it still exposes submodel detail. However, the pop-up menu on the compound component also has an entry labeled Expose/Hide Detail. Selection of this entry hides the detail in the compound component behind the icon .

With the inner compound component hidden, the model shown in Figure 6.4 looks like Figure 6.5.

Figure 6.5: A Multi-Level Compound Component with Ports

You can expose the detail in the inner Queue/Server component by selecting Expose/Hide Detail again on the component labeled Logic. With these features, you assemble components with complex behavior, attach ports to the substructures, then hide the detail, exposing only the structure necessary for using the compound component.

Not only can you hide the visual details of compound components, but you can also hide the details of the logic in a compound component. Just hide the details of the Logic component in Figure 6.5 and you obtain the example shown in Figure 6.6.

Figure 6.6: A Multi-Level Compound Component with Details Hidden

Notice that the Ports remain exposed. That is because the Toggle Exposure was selected from the pop-up menu on the Port as shown in Figure 6.7.

Figure 6.7: A Multi-Level Compound Component with Queue, Server, and Ports

The pop-up menu on compound components in Figure 6.3 shows the selection Select Components.... When this is selected for the component labeled Logic, the window in Figure 6.8 is displayed. In this window, you can select those components that you want exposed when queries are made on the Logic compound component.

Figure 6.8: A Compound Component Control Panel

Initially, the Exposed Components list box contains all the components in the Logic compound component. These are the only components that will be exposed. You move components between the Exposed Components and Non-Exposed Components list boxes by simply selecting them. Notice that only FIFO Queue will be exposed. For example, consider the model shown in Figure 6.9.

Figure 6.9: A Model with Switch and Compound Component

If you select the Controls... from the pop-up menu on the Queue-Server Component then only the FIFO Queue Control Panel will be raised, as shown in Figure 6.10.

Figure 6.10: Control Panel for the Formula Model Element

This is because you had previously (in Figure 6.8) selected only that element to be exposed.