Graphical Skeleton Component Template for Top-Down Modeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing graphical modeling systems lack the ability to create models with executable semantics using a top-down approach, where components can be defined as templates with placeholders for functions or expressions, allowing for flexible and unique implementations while maintaining a consistent framework.
Innovation Solution
A graphical skeleton component is introduced, which serves as a template with holes representing locations for functions or expressions. Users can specify these functions or expressions to convert the skeleton component into a completed, executable component, and a linking engine ensures that changes to the skeleton component are propagated to all instances, allowing for diverse implementations within a consistent framework.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If components are defined as templates with placeholders for functions or expressions, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The component is segmented into a template portion (with placeholders) and an implementation portion (with specific functions). This allows the template to maintain a consistent framework while individual implementations can provide diverse behaviors by filling in the placeholders, thus achieving flexibility without requiring complete redesign for each component type.
Solution Approach 2:
The template-based component serves as a universal structure that can be instantiated in multiple ways. The same template framework can support different implementations by substituting placeholders with various functions or expressions, enabling one component structure to fulfill multiple roles while maintaining consistency.
2Ease of operation
If a top-down approach is used with templates, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision (model accuracy) may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The template framework is prepared in advance with predefined structures and placeholders, establishing the overall model architecture before specific implementations are added. This preliminary structure guides the subsequent implementation process, ensuring that accuracy requirements are met while simplifying the creation process through a clear top-down approach.
Solution Approach 2:
While the overall template structure maintains consistency and framework integrity, local implementations can be customized to meet specific accuracy requirements. The placeholders allow localized adjustments in function or expression without affecting the global template structure, enabling both ease of operation and precision where needed.
3Productivity
If components are created as reusable templates, then productivity is improved, but loss of information may occur during instantiation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating entirely new components from scratch, the template serves as a reusable copy framework. The template structure is copied and instantiated multiple times with different implementations, significantly improving productivity. The placeholder mechanism ensures that necessary information is preserved during copying, as the template maintains the structural and contextual information needed for accurate instantiation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method provides top-down programming in a graphical programming environment. A developer may utilize a component constructor to create a graphical skeleton component that represents a template for a procedure. The graphical skeleton component may include one or more hole elements that mark locations in the component at which functions may be specified. An instance of the component may be included in a graphical model, and one or more functions specified for the hole elements, thereby completing the component. The one or more functions may refer to model parameters, and bindings may be captured among the parameters. Upon execution or simulation of the model, the one or more functions specified for the component are executed, and the parameters evaluated. The functionality of the completed may depend on the one or more functions specified for the hole elements.