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Xentara v2.0.4
User Manual
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Xentara v2.0.4
User Manual
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An element group is simply a group of other elements. It adds no additional functionality to the model. Groups simply introduce intermediate nodes into the model tree.
The following model for a home automation system, for example, is flat, and hence difficult to understand and work with:
The elements in this model would have the following primary keys with no structure or hierarchy:
To introduce some structure into the model, the devices could be grouped by type:
The elements in this model would have the following primary keys:
Groups can be use to introduce as many layers of hierarchy as desired. In the following example, the devices are grouped by location, introducing multiple layers of hierarchy:
The elements in this model would have the following primary keys:
It is rarely necessary to access an element group directly. Usually, only the individual elements within the group are accessed. Nonetheless, element groups have the following members:
| key | The group’s primary key. |
| name | The group’s name. The name is the last component of the primary key. |
| UUID | The unique UUID of the group. |
| type | The group’s element type. For element groups, this is always “element group”. |
| category | The group’s category. For element groups, this is always “element group”. |