Techniques
Reusable templates — shared structure and explicit parameters
Reusable definitions and registered templates reduce repetition while retaining explicit identity and source ownership.
ddn@1New DDN source
Why use it?
A pipeline of identical stages is one template, not five copies to keep in sync: rename the stage kind or add a field once and every instance follows — with identities exactly as if you had typed each stage out.
When it helps
Repeated sub-models (stages, tiers, mirrored pairs), template libraries shared across files, any place a copy-paste block keeps drifting.
How to read it
- Inspect the template or shared definition before changing one of its uses.
- A template expansion is derived content; edit the defining source or the permitted instance settings.
- References preserve identity independently of displayed labels.
What you need
- The reusable definition or template
- Its parameter contract
- The intended instances
Things to check
- Do not assume prototype fragment punctuation remains valid in the new dialect.
- Avoid accidental duplicate declarations when an appearance can reuse existing content.
Scope of this diagram
Only the adopted template and reference rules apply; parsing declarations does not execute arbitrary programs.
Work with the converted example
- Open the viewer and select
main. Inspect the rendered view and its source. - Open the designer. Keep the selected profile and inspect its legal palette and property controls.
- Change one displayed title or an appropriate data value. Apply the edit and check the resulting diagram.
- Run the verifier and review its diagnostics before moving complete content into review.
- Download your edited DDN source to retain the change.
The example uses the indentation-based ddn-next-1 dialect. The language guide explains reusable definitions, dotted data rows and explicit property blocks.