Particular architectural styles may define connection patterns that simplify the connection of two components. In early versions of AcmeStudio, there was no concept of a connection – simply a concept of connecting pieces to create a model. While this connecting of pieces allowed one to create robust models, it was an inefficient and labor-intensive process. While this process of connection is still possible, an alternative connection toolset has been developed which provides a very efficient means of connecting objects, often in as little as two clicks of the mouse.
When a family in AcmeStudio is being created, the family designer has the ability to create so-called connection patterns. These patterns define what connections are allowable while the user is working. For example, in a PipeAndFilter system, a connection pattern is defined that allows the user to connect ports of type ReadPort to ports of type WritePort using a Pipe connector with Source and Sink type roles. These patterns provide AcmeStudio with enough information to know how to join the objects that a user attempts to connect.
Should the user attempt to connect two types of objects for which there is no connection pattern defined, a dialog box will be displayed to inform the user of the problem. Should the user still wish to create the connection, there are ways to extend the defined patterns – for that, please see the ‘Options for Power Users’ section.