Component
- Definition
- The smallest unit of deployment, with a well-defined API.
How does it work?
A component is deployed as a separate entity. It has a documented an rigid interface that other components can rely on. For complex functionality, component are combined.
Components can be used as part of a larger application, but also as complete applications by themselves.
Examples
- DLL
- Component Object Model (COM)
- jar files
- Unix commands
When should you use it?
When code reuse is important. When a large number of unrelated developers work on the same platform.
Problems
- There is an overhead involved in developing software as individual components.