6 Architecture Templates

Architecture templates are used by the Virtual Layer Generator to create the virtual layer. Each architecture component may have one or more templates associated with it. Mapping an application component onto an architecture component tells the Virtual Layer Generator to use its template for generating that part of the virtual layer.

The image above shows the template editing functions available from the architecture layer editor's popup menu. This menu can be reached by right clicking on a node or network in the architecture layer. From this menu architecture templates can be created, deleted and selected for editing.

The Create Processor Template and Create Channel Template options provide two different default templates. Either one may be used, but the Virtual Layer Generator treats channel mappings and process mappings differently. The Virtual Layer Generator will connect the read and write ports of channel templates to the channels port of the processor templates. These two menu options automatically create these ports.

In order to view and edit templates the Template Layer graph editor must be viewable. It can be selected via the View menu. Clicking on an architecture component which has at least one template will display this template in the Template Layer graph editor. If the architecture component has more than one template the one displayed in the Template Layer graph editor can be selected via the Edit Template sub-menu. The YMLEditor will remember this selection via the defaulttemplate property.

Templates can be edited via the graph editor in the normal way. To be truly useful a template must be mapped on to the architecture. This mapping specifies how the virtual layer will be connected to the architecture after it is generated from the templates. The Mapping Editor section describes mapping.