Flow form - Editing with Process Modeler

Flow form Process Modeler — Editing Decision shapes
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Use the Decision shape to reference a Boolean expression, decision table, decision tree, fork, map value, predictive model, or scorecard rule that, when evaluated, produces a value that is the basis of branching in the flow.

indicates that one or more tickets are defined on the Decision shape. Assigned ticket names appear beside this icon on the flow.

Purpose

At runtime, the system evaluates the decision rule based on inputs from the flow and the work item, and chooses one of the outgoing connectors based on the result. No user interaction or input is required.

For example, a decision shape for a credit card processing application may select one of three paths A, B, or C in the flow based on two input values — a card type (Standard, Silver, or Gold) and an amount.

Adding a Decision shape to the flow

On the flow Diagram tab, you can add a shape in one of three ways. Validation of the added shapes occurs when you save the flow.

Use the canvas context menu:

Right-click a blank area of the canvas near the location where you would like the Decision shape to appear.
Hover over Add on the submenu to display a list of shapes you can add to the flow.
Click the Decision shape. After the shape has been added to the canvas, click and drag to reposition.

Use the toolbar Flow Shape palette:

Click the Flow Shape palette on the toolbar to display a drop-down shapes menu that will remain open until you close it, facilitating the process of rapidly adding multiple shapes. Click the window title bar and drag the submenu to another area of the screen, as needed.
Click and drag the Decision shape to the canvas.
Close the Shapes palette at any time.

Use the Flow Shape palette drop-down menu:

Click the down arrow on the toolbar Flow Shape palette to display a drop-down shapes menu.
Click and drag the Decision shape from the drop-down menu to the desired position on the canvas.

Editing Decision shape properties

1. On the flow Diagram tab, open the properties panel using one of the following:

Double-click the shape.
Right-click the shape and select Properties from the drop-down menu.
Click the shape, then click the View Properties icon .

2. When the Decision Properties panel appears, enter a text name for this shape. The shape name defaults to Decision. Choose a name meaningful to application users who see this on the work item history display, the breadcrumbs control (for entry points), and the Where-Am-I? diagram. For example: Customer Limit Check.

The shape name is only descriptive; it does not affect runtime execution of the flow. This name also appears inside the Decision shape on the Diagram tab.

To change the name after you have exited from the properties panel, click the name, and type over the highlighted text.

3. Complete the fields as described in the tables below. Note that the fields will vary depending on the Type you select.

4. Choose a decision rule Type: Boolean Expression, Decision Table, Decision Tree, Fork, Map Value, Predictive Model or Scorecard Model.

5. Complete the fields that appear for that type as described in the tables below. (To edit the shape properties after you save the Flow form, open the Diagram tab, right-click the shape, and select Properties.)

6. Click OK or click anywhere off the shape to save edits and close the panel.

7. Click and drag the shape as needed to position it in the flow.

8. Connect at least one incoming connector to the decision shape.

9. Connect two or more outgoing connectors from the decision shape to another shape.

10. Configure each connector with an appropriate connector condition.

Deleting a Decision shape from the flow

A decision may be deleted from the process flow. Right-click the decision, and select Delete from the drop-down menu.

You can also select the decision and do one of the following:

Click the Delete icon on the toolbar.
Press the Delete key on your keyboard.

When a shape is deleted, the connectors to and from the shape are also deleted.

Completing Decision properties for Boolean expressions

Use the following table to complete the Decision properties panel for Boolean expressions.

Field	Description
Type	`Boolean Expression`
Expression	Enter an expression that returns true or false, for example: .myProperty == "Yellow" See About expressions.
Result in	Optional. Select a target property to contain the result of the expression.
Audit Note	Optional. Select or enter the name of a Rule-Message rule to control the text of an instances added to the work item history (the "audit trail") when a flow execution completes this shape. PRPC includes a few dozen standard messages in the Work- class. (Through field value rules, the corresponding text on work item history displays can be localized. See About the Localization wizard.) Optionally, to reduce the volume of history detail instances, your application can prevent system-generated messages from being added to work item history. See Controlling the volume of generated work item history instances and the PDN article 25196 How to control history instances written to the audit trail. When you plan to localize the application using this rule, so the application can support users in various languages or locales, choose the text carefully and limit text length to 64 characters. A field value rule with this text as the final key part is needed for each locale. When practical, choose a caption already included in a language pack, to simplify later localization.
Entry Point	Select to indicate that this decision shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. The default is cleared. Decision shapes are not typically marked as entry points.
Only going back	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. Decision shapes are not typically marked as entry points. However, if you do mark this shape as an entry point, as a best practice, also select the Only Going Back checkbox to prevent users from jumping ahead to this decision shape before prerequisite steps are executed.
	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.
Post Action on Click Away	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.

At runtime, the system evaluates this Boolean expression. In the connectors leading from this decision shape, you can use the result in Status comparisons.

The system evaluates connectors in order of decreasing likelihood. Flow execution continues along the first connector that evaluates to true.

Completing Decision Properties for decision tables

Use the following table to complete the Decision properties panel for decision tables.

Field	Description
Type	`Decision Table`
Rule	Select a decision table, identified by the second key part.
Result in	Optional. Select a target property to contain the result of the chosen rule.
Audit note	Optional. Select or enter the name of a Rule-Message rule to control the text of an instances added to the work item history (the "audit trail") when a flow execution completes this shape. PRPC includes a few dozen standard messages in the Work- class. (Through field value rules, the corresponding text on work item history displays can be localized.) Optionally, to reduce the volume of history detail instances, your application can prevent system-generated messages from being added to work item history. See Controlling the volume of generated work item history instances and the PDN article 25196 How to control history instances written to the audit trail.
Entry Point	Select to indicate that this decision shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. The default is cleared. Because a decision shape presents no user form, if a user clicks a breadcrumbs control to return to this entry point, flow processing resumes and pauses at the next assignment or other shape that requires user input.
Only going back	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. Decision shapes are not typically marked as entry points. However, if you do mark this shape as an entry point, as a best practice, also select the Only Going Back checkbox to prevent users from jumping ahead to this decision shape before prerequisite steps are executed.
Post Action on Click Away	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.

At runtime, the system evaluates the decision table based on the input value you supply and the value of any other properties it references. Two connectors (one for true and one for false) leading from this decision shape can use the result.

The system evaluates connectors in order of decreasing likelihood. Flow execution continues along the first connector that evaluates to true.

Completing Decision Properties for decision trees

Use the following table to complete the Decision properties panel for decision trees.

Field	Description
Type	`Decision Tree`
Rule	Select a decision tree, identified by the second key part.
Input	Optional. Enter a literal text value or a property reference that becomes the input value for the decision tree at runtime. If you leave this blank, the system uses the value of the property identified on the Input tab.
Result in	Optional. Select a target property to contain the result of the chosen rule.
Audit Note	Optional. Select or enter the name of a Rule-Message rule to control the text of an instances added to the work item history (the "audit trail") when a flow execution completes this shape. PRPC includes a few dozen standard messages in the Work- class. (Through field value rules, the corresponding text on work item history displays can be localized. See About the Localization wizard.) Optionally, to reduce the volume of history detail instances, your application can prevent system-generated messages from being added to work item history. See Controlling the volume of generated work item history instances and the PDN article 25196 How to control history instances written to the audit trail.
Entry Point	Select to indicate that this decision shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. The default is cleared.
Only going back	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. Decision shapes are not typically marked as entry points. However, if you do mark this shape as an entry point, as a best practice, also select the Only Going Back checkbox to prevent users from jumping ahead to this decision shape before prerequisite steps are executed.
Post Action on Click Away	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.

At runtime, the system evaluates the decision tree based on the input value you supply and the value of any other properties it references. Your connectors leading from this decision shape can use the result (the output of the decision tree) in Status comparisons.

The system evaluates connectors in order of decreasing likelihood. Flow execution continues along the first connector that evaluates to true.

Completing Decision Properties for forks

Use the following table to complete the Decision properties panel for forks.

Field	Description
Type	`Fork`
Entry Point	Select to indicate that this decision is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. The default is cleared. This checkbox works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Previous flow action. In other cases, the checkbox has no effect. Because a decision fork presents no user form, if a user clicks a breadcrumbs control to return to this entry point, flow processing resumes and pauses at the next assignment or other task that requires user input.
Only going back	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. Decision shapes are not typically marked as entry points. However, if you do mark this shape as an entry point, as a best practice, also select the Only Going Back checkbox to prevent users from jumping ahead to this decision shape before prerequisite steps are executed.
Post Action on Click Away	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.

Associate a likelihood value between 1 and 99 for each outgoing connector. At runtime, the system evaluates the conditions on connectors in order of decreasing likelihood. Choose distinct likelihood values if you care about the order. (Often, only one of the outgoing connector conditions is true, so the order of evaluation does not matter.)

Set up the tests (When conditions or expressions) on each connector so that at least one of them evaluates to True at runtime. You can set the condition on the least-likely connector to ELSE to make it a none-of-the-above choice.

Completing Decision Properties for map values

Use the following table to complete the Decision properties panel for map values. You can reference a one- or two-dimensional map value.

Field	Description
Type	`Map Value`
Rule	Select a map value, identified by the second key part.
Row Input	Optional. Enter a literal text value or a property reference that becomes the input value for the row of the map value at runtime. When you leave this blank, the row property identified on the Inputs tab is used as the source of the value.
Column Input	Optional. If the map value selected has two dimensions, enter a literal value or a property reference that becomes the input value for the column of the map value at runtime. When you leave this blank, the column property identified on the Inputs tab is used as the source of the value.
Result in	Optional. Select a target property to contain the result of the chosen rule.
Audit Note	Optional. Select or enter the name of a Rule-Message rule to control the text of an instances added to the work item history (the "audit trail") when a flow execution completes this shape. PRPC includes a few dozen standard messages in the Work- class. (Through field value rules, the corresponding text on work item history displays can be localized. See About the Localization wizard.) Optionally, to reduce the volume of history detail instances, your application can prevent system-generated messages from being added to work item history. See Controlling the volume of generated work item history instances and the PDN article 25196 How to control history instances written to the audit trail.
Entry Point	Select to indicate that this decision shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. The default is cleared. This checkbox works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Work-.Previous flow action. In other cases, the checkbox has no effect.
Only going back	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. Decision shapes are not typically marked as entry points. However, if you do mark this shape as an entry point, as a best practice, also select the Only Going Back checkbox to prevent users from jumping ahead to this decision shape before prerequisite steps are executed.
Post Action on Click Away	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.

At runtime, the system evaluates the map value using one or two values supplied by this settings dialog box, and compute a result value. The decision result (a text value) is the basis of the decision, using outgoing connectors and the Status comparison.

For example, if the map value returns values "Red", "Green", or "Yellow", the flow can include four connectors flowing from the Decision shape, all corresponding to Status comparisons. One connector compares the returned value to "Red", one to "Green", one to "Yellow", and a fourth can become the default (Else) connector.

Completing Decision Properties for predictive model rules

Use the following table to complete the Decision properties panel for predictive model rules. Predictive model rules are available through the Decision Strategy Manager .

Field	Description
Type	`Predictive Model`
Rule	Select a predictive model rule.
Entry Point	Select to indicate that this decision is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. The default is cleared. This checkbox works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Previous flow action. In other cases, the checkbox has no effect.
Only going back	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. Decision shapes are not typically marked as entry points. However, if you do mark this shape as an entry point, as a best practice, also select the Only Going Back checkbox to prevent users from jumping ahead to this decision shape before prerequisite steps are executed.
Post Action on Click Away	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.

Completing Decision Properties for scorecard rules

Use the following table to complete the Decision properties panel for scorecard rules. Scorecard rules are available through the Decision Strategy Manager.

Field	Description
Type	`Scorecard Model`
Rule	Select a scorecard model rule.
Entry Point	Select to indicate that this decision is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. The default is cleared. This checkbox works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Previous flow action. In other cases, the checkbox has no effect.
Only going back	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. Decision shapes are not typically marked as entry points. However, if you do mark this shape as an entry point, as a best practice, also select the Only Going Back checkbox to prevent users from jumping ahead to this decision shape before prerequisite steps are executed.
Post Action on Click Away	This checkbox appears only when you select the Entry Point checkbox. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.

Completing the Status tab

Complete the Work Status field under the Status tab to set the status for the work item. This allows you to easily change the status at multiple points in the life cycle of a work item without adding a Utility shape to the flow for each status change. Similar to setting work item status using a Utility shape, setting the status on this tab invokes the UpdateStatus activity. Any defined tickets dependent on the status are raised, as appropriate.

Field

Description

Work Status

SmartPrompt Optional. You can set the status for the work item here. The selected status updates .pyStatusWork when a flow execution reaches that shape.

A status indicator appears on connectors to shapes that change a work item status. For example, if the shape status is set to Pending-External, the connector to that shape will display a small red flag. All transitions connecting to the shape will display the status indicator. Following are the status indicators for the four status prefixes.

New

Open

Pending

Resolved

Completing the Tickets tab

Add a Ticket Name field under the Tickets tab to indicate the ticket(s) available at runtime. Use the Ticket to mark the starting point for exceptions that may arise at any point in the flow, such as a cancellation. The ticket is a label for a point in a flow, much like a programming "GOTO" destination.

An activity executing anywhere in your entire PRPC application can set or raise this ticket by executing the Obj-Set-Tickets method with this ticket name as a parameter. See Ticket help for other ways to raise a ticket.

The scope of a raised ticket includes all flows on the current work item that contain this ticket. If found, processing stops on that flow promptly, and resumes at the ticket point.

The system adds to the decision shape to indicate one or more tickets are associated with this decision. The assigned ticket name appears on the flow.

Field

Description

Ticket Name

Optional. Select one or more tickets that are to be available at runtime from this decision. Add a row for each ticket. Use SmartPrompt to display all tickets available to flows in this work type.

Tip Creating ticket rules is recommended but not required. You can enter here a name that does not correspond to a ticket rule .

If a shape has more than one ticket associated with it, then processing continues with that task only after all tickets are set.

Example

Processing is connected to a ticket to respond to an exception, error flow or event. For example, if a mortgage application is withdrawn after some, but not all, of the application processing is completed, a mortgage processing flow can:

Include a ticket named Withdrawn on a utility shape that computes the fees due for work done so far, and any refund amount
Follow the utility shape with another that produces correspondence, to alert all parties working on the mortgage that it was withdrawn
Connect to external systems to back out (rollback) changes or void accounting entries as appropriate

Display Name

Optional. The Ticket Name appears by default. Enter a name to display other than the ticket name.

Flows — Concepts and terms
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About Flows

Flow form Process Modeler — Editing Decision shapes

Use the canvas context menu:

Use the toolbar Flow Shape palette:

Use the Flow Shape palette drop-down menu:

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Flow form
Process Modeler — Editing Decision shapes