- :ref:`User_Guide_Organization_and_Principles`
- :ref:`User_Guide_Components`
- :ref:`User_Guide_Compositions`
- :ref:`User_Guide_Processing`
- :ref:`User_Guid_Modulation`
This section provides a overview of the basic objects in PsyNeuLink, and how they are used to construct and run models. There are two primary kinds of objects in PsyNeuLink: Components <Component> and Compositions <Composition>. Components are objects that perform a specific function, and Compositions are objects that combine Components into a runnable model.
There are two primary types of Components: Mechanisms <Mechanism> and Projections <Projection>. For those familiar with block modeling systems, Mechanisms are the "blocks" in PsyNeuLink, and Projections are the "links". Mechanisms take inputs, process them in some way, and generate outputs that can be sent to other Mechanisms. Projections are the means of sending information from one Mechanism to another. There are several varieties of Mechanisms and Projections, that serve a range of different functions. At the highest level, they are divided into two types: ones responsible for processing, and ones responsible for modulation.
Processing The Components responsible for processing are ProcessingMechanisms <ProcessingMechanism> and PathwayProjection <PathwayProjections>. They are used to create pathways that transmit and transform information, taking the inputs to a model and generating its outputs. The primary types of ProcessingMechanisms are TransferMechanisms <TransferMechanism> (that perform a "memory-less" transformation of their input), IntegratorMechanisms (that maintain a memory of their prior state, and integrate that with new inputs), and ObjectiveMechanisms (that evaluate and/or compare different sources of input).
, as well as two other fundamental types of Components (States <State> and Functions <Function>), that are described in the section below on Components <User_Guide_Components>. The other primary type of object, Composition, has two primary types: Processes <Process> and Systems <System> that allow Compositions of different degrees of size and complexity to be created. These are described in the section below on Compositions <User_Guide_Components>. In each case, examples are provided that illustrate how these objects are implemented, and that parallel those used in the interactive Tutorial <LINK>.
- Organization:
- Two main types:
- Components
- objects that actually do computation;
- two main types, of which there two types of each:
- mechanisms:
- processing adaptive
- projections:
- pathway modulatory
- two constituent types (i.e. parts of other types)
- states (mechanisms and projections) functions (all PNL objects)
- Compositions:
- configure components into functioning processes and systems
- Basic principles:
Composition Processing Modulation
Learning (most common but most complicated) Control Gating
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Other packages that are much better for such applications are: Text description