Components

Components are information functions that are represented as icons on the graphical flow diagram. You can find their icons in the Composer palette, and drag and drop them onto your diagram. Components may perform general-purpose processing or mathematical functions, domain specific algorithms, or visualization display directly; or they may interact with files, web services and existing information systems via available networks.  Components in a flow diagram are connected to one another to consume input data and produce output data.

There are four types of components:

1. a code component is implemented directly in software - does not contain its own flow diagram,
2. a composite component contains its own flow diagram, which allows you to break problems down into smaller and smaller pieces.  See Work with Composites.
3. a constant component is used to declare constant values that are used in a single place on the diagram, and cannot be updated at runtime
4. a parameter component is used to declare constant or expression values that may be referenced  in multiple places on the diagram and can be updated

A ‘composed app’ or ‘app’ for short, is a special form of composite component: it has a flow diagram, but it also has everything else needed to execute.  The beauty of AppSymphony is that complete composed apps can be reused as composites in other flow diagrams.  In other words they are hierarchical – apps can contain apps can contain other apps. 

AppSymphony ships with a broad array – literally hundreds – of components for you to work with.