Port
A port is a defined interface or endpoint through which a system communicates with another component, service, or external capability.
AI-Powered Developer: Build software with ChatGPT and Copilot
A port is an interface defining a contract between an application’s domain model and an external system.
- How it is used
- Separates a REST API from AssetManager through an interface and delegating adapter.
- How deep it goes
- Defines port roles and works through an abstract CRUD interface, adapter implementation, and controller update.
- Examples
- Uses an IT asset-management REST controller, AssetRestPort, AssetRestAdapter, and CRUD asset operations.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch by defining a port, implementing an adapter, and redirecting controller calls through it.
Read how AI-Powered Developer: Build software with ChatGPT and Copilot explains port →
Grokking AI Applications
A port is a typed connector on a workflow component through which data, models, variables, or other resources enter or leave the component.
- How it is used
- Connects workflow components into processes that pass data, models, variables, and other resources between stages.
- How deep it goes
- Explains port direction, color-coded data types, linked parameters, and practical drag-and-drop connections.
- Examples
- Uses a Chat Input-to-OpenAI connection and a KNIME node anatomy diagram to demonstrate port usage.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure workflows by identifying compatible ports and connecting component outputs to downstream inputs.
gRPC Microservices in Go
A network port is a numbered communication endpoint that identifies a service or process on a networked host.
- How it is used
- Defines contracts between an Order service’s business logic and its incoming requests or outgoing dependencies.
- How deep it goes
- Works through Go interface signatures, adapter placement, and startup wiring; does not examine network-port protocol internals.
- Examples
- Uses PlaceOrder, database Get and Save contracts, and a payment Charge contract in an Order service.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch as Go interfaces, inject matching adapters, and substitute mocks when testing dependent operations.
Related concepts
- hexagonal architectureused by · Hexagonal architecture is a software architecture pattern that isolates an application’s core logic from external systems through ports and adapters.
- adapterimplemented by · The adapter pattern is a structural design pattern in which a component translates between interfaces or representations so otherwise incompatible components can work together.
- contractkind of · An API contract is a specification of the operations, data, and behavioral expectations that govern interactions between software components.
- data transfer objectuses · A data transfer object is a data-carrying structure that conveys defined information between software components or across application boundaries without encapsulating substantial domain behavior.
- feature flagconfigured by · A feature flag is a configuration control that conditionally enables, disables, or selects a software feature or behavior.
These guides are generated from the text of Manning books by Manning's knowledge graph and link to the sections they draw on. The full books are available on liveBook and at manning.com.