A module is a block or structure that facilitates the development of a construction.
A module (from the Latin modulus ) is known as a structure or block of pieces that, in a construction, are located in quantity in order to make it simpler, regular and economical. Every module, therefore, is part of a system and is usually connected in some way to the rest of the components.
What is considered modular is easy to assemble and usually offers a wide flexibility (not in its components, but in the way it is assembled). On the other hand, the final product or system can retain its appearance without suffering consequences by simply repairing the non-functioning module or component. Modularity is known as the ability of a system to be understood as the union of several elements that are linked to each other and that are supportive (each one fulfills a task in pursuit of a common objective).
Module in architecture and geometry
Architecture , for its part, presents as a module that measure that is used to calculate the proportions of architectural bodies. The thing is that, at a general level, the dimension that is conventionally taken as a unit of measurement is known as a module.
For geometry , however, a module is the extension of the segment that delimits a vector. Mathematics also indicates that the module constitutes the absolute value of a certain measurement or allows it to describe the quantity that is used in certain calculations to make comparisons.
Space stations usually have several modules.
The concept in physics and music
In the field of physics , a module is equipment that is used to regulate the amount of water that runs through a channel or circulates inside a pipe or orifice. Numismatics knows the diameter of coins or medals as the module.
In music , the module is the act and consequence of modulating, that is, of going from one tonality to another. These transitions can be smooth and easy to anticipate, in pieces that are easy to read and interpret, or abrupt, unexpected, and even very frequent, which requires a highly trained ear to understand them and execute them with good taste and musicality.
Programming and module
Computer programmers are used to solving problems and, given that these can present different degrees of complexity, in cases of greater difficulty, the best path is modular programming (the term module, in this context, is reminiscent of the era of the language Pascal and is not generally used in today's jargon). The most obvious advantage of this way of working is that you obtain a series of procedures or functions capable of assuming a great variety of tasks, some smaller than others, and that help organize the code of a program.
When structuring the code of any type of program, it is essential to recognize those sequences that will be used more than once, to avoid unnecessary repetition of lines. Grouping those tasks that will be performed frequently into functions not only offers the immediate benefit of making the code neater and more readable, but it considerably reduces the size of an application.
Modular programming is based on the principle of decomposing a problem into smaller ones to solve them one by one until the final objective is reached. In computer science terms, we would say that a program is divided into a series of subprograms, which in this case are modules. As in other fields, if one of the modules presents some unexpected behavior, it is easy to detect it and work on it without affecting the rest. Furthermore, large companies usually assign the same project to dozens of programmers, which in many cases exceed 100, and the distribution of work, in addition to modular design, is the most intelligent way to approach development .