Component diagram

Next you can zoom in and decompose each container further to identify the major structural building blocks and their interactions.

The Component diagram shows how a container is made up of a number of “components”, what each of those components are, their responsibilities and the technology/implementation details.

Example

A component diagram

Diagram key

A diagram key

Scope

A single container.

Primary elements

Components within the container in scope.

Supporting elements

Containers (within the software system in scope) plus people and software systems directly connected to the components.

Intended audience

Software architects and developers.

No, only create component diagrams if you feel they add value, and consider automating their creation for long-lived documentation.