A method is provided for operating a first computer device, in which a source program code is generated which contains a functional model that is hierarchically composed of functions which are hierarchically composed of components, the visibility of the components within the functional model being determined by the hierarchy. Placeholders are used within the hierarchy for determined components and executable program code is generated, the placeholders being replaced by the determined components via a correspondingly executed mapping rule before executable program code is generated. This method allows the locality principle to be maintained, for example on experimental hardware.