Make Agents Yourself

h1. Terminology

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h2. MAY

MAY is a tool to build software components with SpeADL and Java.

h2. Software Component

A software component is at the same time the type of a component, an implementation of this type and an instance of the implementation that exposes the type.

h3. Component Class

A component class is at the same time a type and an implementation.

h3. Component Instance

A component instance is a runtime entity that exposes the type of its class and realise this type using the implementation of its class.

h2. Interface

In Java, interfaces are collections of methods.

An interface has a name and is located in a Java package.

h2. Namespace

A namespace plays the exact same role as a package in Java.

h2. SpeADL Component Definition

A component definition is a SpeADL definition of a component type and optionally of a component implementation in the form of a configuration.

It is located in a namespace.

h3. Component Type

A component type has a name and a collection of ports.

It represents a component from the exterior: this is all that can be externally accessed from a component instance.

h3. Component Port

A port in a component has a name and an interface.

If it is provided, it must answer call to the operations of the interface.

If it is required, it can be used from within the component to call operations of the interfaces without knowing who provides them.

h3. Configuration

A configuration is a composition of component parts.

A configuration acts as an implementation for a component.

A configuration must be valid and it is when all the required ports of its part are bound (bindings) to other ports with the correct interface.

h3. Component Part

A part is a member of a component and that is itself a component.

It has a name and component type.

Its required ports must be connected to a port providing the interface, and its provided ports are available from within the containing component.

h2. Component Java Implementation

A component implementation is a Java implementation of a component definition.

It is located in a package as a normal Java class.

It contains implementations for the provided ports, definitions of the Java implementations for the parts and optionally implementation of the initialisation of the component.

h2. Component Instance

A component instance is a runtime entity that exposes the type of its class and realise this type using the implementation of its class.

A component instance contains a component instance for each of its parts.

A component instance is created from the component implementation.

h2. Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a component with species.

h3. Ecosystem Definition

See [[SpeADL Terminology#Component Definition|Component Definition]].

On top of that, it contains also species.

h3. Ecosystem Java Implementation

See [[SpeADL Terminology#Component Java Implementation|Component Java Implementation]].

On top of that it contains definitions of the Java implementations for the species.

h2. Species

A species is a component that can only be defined inside an ecosystem.

h3. Species Definition

See [[SpeADL Terminology#Component Definition|Component Definition]].

On top of that, it can have parameters (separated by commas) and contain uses.

h3. Species Parameter

A species parameter has a name and a Java type.

h3. Use

A use is a part that can only be defined inside a species.

A use has a name but the only component type it can have must be a species declared in one of the parts of the ecosystem containing its species.

If the type of the use has parameters, then arguments for these parameters must be passed to it.

h3. Species Implementation

See [[SpeADL Terminology#Component Java Implementation|Component Java Implementation]].

Contrary to parts, a use implementation don't have to be defined as they are already defined in the implementation of the ecosystem containing the species of the use.

h3. Species Instance

A species can be instantiated only from within the ecosystem that defines it.