inheritance

Object-oriented mechanism to extend or refine class definitions. A derived class inherits all properties of the parent class. New properties can be specified. Inheritance is a key concept for improved reuse.

instance

A real existing member of a class called object.

instantiation mode

Defines whether a class type is a variable, signal, constant or class attribute. The method set of a class type may differ depending on the instantiation mode.

interaction diagramm

A way to show the interaction of objects in a special application case over time.