Filters are components that serve to transform (or filter) data that is received as an input from a previous component via pipes (connectors). Each filter has an input pipe and an output pipe, as shown in the following diagram:
![](assets/b6f677e9-e5e4-4cc9-be84-8213f26ccacb.png)
Another characteristic of this concept is that the filter can have several input pipes and several output pipes, as shown in the following diagram:
![](assets/6d11a37d-2672-4163-9080-39e43a9c171c.png)