Document BlockData.clone

pyomo/core/base/block.py

@@ -1243,8 +1243,83 @@ def reclassify_component_type(
             self._decl_order[idx] = (obj, tmp)
 
     def clone(self, memo=None):
-        """
-        TODO
+        """Make a copy of this block (and all components contained in it).
+
+        Pyomo models use :py:class:`Block` components to define a
+        hierarchical structure and provide model scoping.  When modeling
+        :py:class:`~pyomo.core.base.component.Component` objects are
+        assigned to a block, they are automatically added to that block's
+        scope.
+
+        :py:meth:`clone()` implements a specialization of
+        :py:func:`copy.deepcopy` that will deep copy the
+        :py:class:`BlockData` using that block's scope: that is, copy
+        the :py:class:`BlockData` and (recursively) all
+        :py:class:`Component` objects attached to it (including any
+        sub-blocks).  Pyomo
+        :py:class:`~pyomo.core.base.component.Component` /
+        :py:class:`~pyomo.core.base.component.ComponentData` objects
+        that are referenced through objects on this block but are not in
+        this block scope (i.e., are not owned by this block or a
+        subblock of this block) are not duplicated.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        memo : dict
+            A user-defined memo dictionary.  The dictionary will be
+            updated by :py:meth:`clone` and :py:func:`copy.deepcopy`.
+            See :py:meth:`object.__deepcopy__` for more information.
+
+        Examples
+        --------
+        Given the following model:
+
+        >>> m = pyo.ConcreteModel()
+        >>> m.I = pyo.RangeSet(3)
+        >>> m.x = pyo.Var()
+        >>> m.b1 = pyo.Block()
+        >>> m.b1.J = pyo.RangeSet(3)
+        >>> m.b1.y = pyo.Var(domain=pyo.Reals)
+        >>> m.b1.z = pyo.Var(m.I)
+        >>> m.b1.c = pyo.Constraint(expr=m.x >= m.b1.y + sum(m.b1.z[:]))
+        >>> m.b1.b2 = pyo.Block()
+        >>> m.b1.b2.w = pyo.Var(m.b1.J)
+        >>> m.b1.d = pyo.Constraint(expr=m.b1.y + sum(m.b1.b2.w[:]) == 5)
+
+        If we clone a block:
+
+        >>> i = m.b1.clone()
+
+        All local components are copied:
+
+        >>> assert m.b1 is not i
+        >>> assert m.b1.J is not i.J
+        >>> assert m.b1.y is not i.y
+        >>> assert m.b1.z is not i.z
+        >>> assert m.b1.b2 is not i.b2
+        >>> assert m.b1.b2.w is not i.b2.w
+
+        References to local components (in this case, Sets) are copied
+        and updated:
+
+        >>> assert m.b1.b2.w.index_set() is not i.b2.w.index_set()
+
+        But references to out-of-scope Sets (either global or in a
+        different block scope) are preserved:
+
+        >>> assert m.b1.y.index_set() is i.y.index_set()
+        >>> assert m.b1.z.index_set() is i.z.index_set()
+        >>> assert m.b1.y.domain is i.y.domain
+
+        Expressions are also updated in a similar manner: the new
+        expression will reference the new (copied) components for any
+        components in scope, but references to out-of-scope components
+        will be preserved:
+
+        >>> from pyomo.core.expr.compare import compare_expressions
+        >>> assert compare_expressions(i.c.expr, m.x >= i.y + sum(i.z[:]))
+        >>> assert compare_expressions(i.d.expr, i.y + sum(i.b2.w[:]) == 5)
+
         """
         # FYI: we used to remove all _parent() weakrefs before
         # deepcopying and then restore them on the original and cloned