Hierarchy of Data objects

Hierarchy of Data objects

The IDA System is a hierarchy of data objects (components). Every data object has a list of attributes (e.g., name, description, type, value) and components (subcomponents). The components are also data objects.

Every data object has a parent object which is the object containing it.

Primary data objects (without components) are parameters, variables and interfaces.

A parameter describes some property of the containing object. A parameter value is not changed during a simulation. Parameters may be numerical, logical, textual, symbolical (alternatives) and pointers to resources.

A variable represents a single time-dependent value. The dependence may be either given (using tables, files of functions) or calculated during the simulation. Only numerical variables are implemented in the current version of IDA SE.

An interface is an ordered list of variables, used for connections. For models written in NMF, the variables are not components of the interface, but rather act as references to, e.g., an equation object where they belong. For models written in Modelica, the interfaces (called connectors in Modelica) contain variables as components.

Composite data objects are models, records, and resources.

A model represents a description of a physical object (e.g. room , wall , window , etc.) or an abstract object used in a simulation (NMF model , macro object , input or output file , report ).

A record is a component in a model, resource, or another record. It may contain parameters, variables, and other records as components.

A resource is a set of parameters that may be used as a parameter entry (e.g., wall construction , schedule , building material ) and as a template (object type) for other data objects.

See also Object types in applications.