Components in a UML Component Diagram

Question

I am very confused about what these "components" should be. I am just starting with UML. I do not know which components should be used or be on the diagram. I searched for definitions about these components, and they are very difficult to understand. Could you explain this in a very simple way, what should these components be?

PS: This component diagram will be about the website. Scheduler.

I cannot post what I had in mind because I am a new user and new users are not allowed to post images.

Answer 1

The way I think of them is a large, logical, block of system functionality; a bit like what can be found in a single library or .jar file. They, as a rule, are more connected with software-intensive systems distributed over several nodes (computers) and locations. The idea is that they interact mainly through well-defined interfaces and that they can be replaced or “exchanged” with another component that will do the same job. The example will change to another database management system or update some hardware drivers.

Components are most used in component and sequence diagrams.

I believe that there is a discussion about what the real differences between components and classes are. Both are specializations of the concept of classifier in UML

In your case, not knowing the specifics - you may have the following components with interfaces between them:

• web client component
• component or components of a business task or problem.
• some kind of data management component.

At the end of the day, however, you use UML in any way that works for you. A simple software project may not benefit from using component diagrams. Each project team determines what context and level of abstraction they work, and accordingly choose the types of diagrams.