Definition and analysis of composition structures for discrete-event models

The re-use of a model by someone else than the original developer is still an open challenge. This paper presents composition structures and interface descriptions for discrete-event models. Interfaces are introduced as separate units of description that complement model definitions. As XML documents, interfaces may be stored in databases to search, select, and analyze composition candidates based on public visible property descriptions. A meta model formalizes interfaces, components, and compositions, such that the refinement of interfaces into model implementations and the compatibility of interfaces can be analyzed. The composition approach combines different hierarchical relations (type hierarchies, refinement hierarchies, and composition hierarchies) to simplify the modeling process.