1. A method for designing software for an embedded system in a software design environment, comprising: providing, in a software design tool, a software block including one or more data elements of one of signal-type or parameter-type, wherein a signal-type data element has a variant data value that varies during operation of the embedded system, and a parameter-type data element has an invariant data value that cannot vary during operation of the embedded system; designating at least one data element of the one or more data elements as a port in a first use of the software block and designating the same data element as a property in a second use of the software block; establishing, if the at least one data element is designated as a property, a constant value associated with the property, wherein the at least one data element is not connected to one or more software blocks associated with the software design environment, and the constant value is an invariant data value; establishing, if the at least one data element is designated as a port, a connection with one or more software blocks associated with the software design environment, wherein variant data values or invariant data values are routed between the at least one data element and the one or more connected software blocks; and generating at least a portion of software code associated with the software block based on the designation of the at least one data element.