z2-Environment

h1. An introduction to the Z2 resource model

In order to understand Z2 in some depth, it is essential to understand the Z2 component model, that is organized in _modules_ and _components_ and that underpins 

Z2's approach to modularity. 

The true reference on that is "in the documentation":http://www.z2-environment.eu/v21doc#componentsAndComponentRepos.

The one minute overview is:

Z2 core, at its very heart, knows of these conceptual objects:

!pseudo_uml.png!

*Resource*: The service provider API for extending Z2. If you implement anything that can be looked up, it is implemented as a "Resource":http://www.z2-environment.net/javadoc/com.zfabrik.core.api!2Fjava/api/com/zfabrik/resources/provider/Resource.html.

*Component*: _Components_ bridge between declarations and persistent files and Resources. Components are stored in component repositories. A component has a type. The type is used to resolve a component factory that - at runtime - constructs a Resource representing the component. Components are what Z2 assigns a life-cycle to. A Web application, Java code, data sources, make components.

*Component Type*: A _Component Type_ is identified by a name and implemented as a component. The responsibility of a component type is to turn component declarations of a specified type into Resources at runtime. Component types implement "IComponentFactory":http://www.z2-environment.net/javadoc/com.zfabrik.core.api!2Fjava/api/index.html (implicitly or explicitly).

*Component Repository*: _Component Repositories_ make components available to Z2. That is, on the one hand a component repository has some persistent storage that holds component declarations. On the other hand, a component repository is a component that implements "IComponentRepository":http://www.z2-environment.net/javadoc/com.zfabrik.core.api!2Fjava/api/com/zfabrik/components/provider/IComponentsRepository.html.

*Synchronizer*: A synchronizer checks component repositories for updates and performs invalidations of modified components at runtime.

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