Flow form - Editing in Process Modeler - Split Join shape properties

Flow form — Editing in Process Modeler Split Join shape properties
About New Diagram Parameters Pages & Classes Design
Process Specifications Requirements Test Cases History More...

The Split Join shape causes processing of a work item to split into two or more independent flow executions that operate asynchronously and then later rejoin.

Purpose

Use the Split Join shape to require that multiple subprocesses of your flow be completed before the current flow continues execution. This allows subprocesses to execute asynchronously, in parallel. For an example, see Work-.ParallelWork.

For example, a mortgage application workflow may require that facts about the home buyers be validated, and that a title search be completed. These two tasks are unrelated and can be performed in subprocesses that proceed independently and in parallel. Other processing later in the primary flow can require that both these two subprocesses complete.

The and help to identify the Split Join shape.

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

Adding a Split Join shape to the flow

On the flow Diagram tab, you can add a shape to a flow 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 Split Join shape to appear.
Hover over Add on the submenu to display a list of shapes you can add to the flow.
Click the Split Join 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 Split Join shape to the canvas.
Close the Flow Shape 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 Split Join shape from the drop-down menu to the desired position on the canvas.

Editing Split Join 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 toolbar View Properties icon.

2. When the Split Join Properties panel appears, enter a text name for this shape. The shape name defaults to Split Join. 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 Split Join 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.

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

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

6. Connect at least one incoming connector to the Split Join shape.

7. Connect at least one outgoing connector from the Split Join shape to another shape, unless a parallel process resolves a work item and does not have to return to the flow.

Deleting a Split Join shape from the flow

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

You can also select the Split Join and do one of the following:

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

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

Complete the Split Join tab

Complete the following fields on the Split Join tab.

Field	Description
Join	Choose `Any` or `All`. Choose: `All` if the current flow is to resume only when all the split subprocesses return. `Any` if processing in the current flow is to resume after any one of the split subprocesses completes. At that time, processing of the other split subprocesses that have not completed is stopped. Open assignments for these subprocesses are cancelled.
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, you can localize the corresponding text on work item history displays. 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 Split Join shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action 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. For maximum user flexibility, leave this checkbox unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
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.

Complete the Subprocesses tab

Complete the following fields on the Subprocesses tab. Click the plus sign beside Specify a Flow Rule for this Subprocess to display the fields for each subprocess. Three additional tabs will appear: Subprocess, FlowInput, and FlowOutput.

The Subprocess tab — for flow defined "On Current Work Item"

Use the following table to complete the fields if your flow is being defined on the current work item:

Field	Description
Name	Enter a name for the subprocess. 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. It does not affect flow execution. When first building, it is simplest to make this name the same as the name of the called flow. Later when your flow is complete, you can change the name to be more descriptive.
Define Flow	Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select: `On Current Work Item` to continue processing on the current (unresolved) work item in the next flow
Filter Flow Rule By	Select `Process Flow` or `Screen Flow` as the category of the destination subprocess to be started.
Flow Rule	Select the Flow Name, the second key part of the flow to be started for the other work item.
Parameters	Some flows have input parameters. Enter parameters for the selected flow.
Application	Optional. Select the name of the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
Work Type	Optional. Select the name of the work type for the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
Specification	Optional. Select the name of the specification for the application and work type that details the implementation requirements for the Subprocess shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents and on the Implementation tab of the corresponding Application Specification.
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, you can localize the corresponding text on work item history displays. 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 Split Join shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action 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. For maximum user flexibility, leave this checkbox unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
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.
Subprocess has Entry Points	In a regular flow, select to allow users to return to the entry points within the Split Join subprocesses using the breadcrumbs control, or clicking a tree-harness node from a completed subprocess or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. For example, assume that a Split Join shape calls a flow containing two assignments ("Review" and "Approve) and the `Page List` has three entries. The label property is set to `.myString` and that the values of `.myString` on each page of the `Page List` are pg1, pg2, and pg3. Then the breadcrumbs appear as: pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve. Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has Entry Points to be selected. By default, the box is cleared.

The Subprocess tab — for flow defined "On Another Work Item"

Use the following table to complete the fields if your flow is being defined on another work item:

Field	Description
Name	Enter a name for the subprocess. 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. It does not affect flow execution. When first building, it is simplest to make this name the same as the name of the called flow. Later when your flow is complete, you can change the name to be more descriptive.
Define Flow	Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select: Choose `On Another Work Item` to start processing on a different work item.
Work Property	Enter a property reference in the current work item that identifies the key (.piousness property) of the other work item. Leave this blank if (when this shape is reached) the other work item is already open as a page on the clipboard.
Class	Select the class (work type) of the "other" work item.
Page Name	Optional. If (when this shape is reached) the other work item is present on the clipboard, enter the page name that holds it. If the other work item is not present, enter the page name to be created that holds it. When you leave this field blank but complete the Work Property field, the system opens the work item on a page named `pyNextObj` (or `pyNextObj_1`, and so on). To start the flow execution, the current requestor must hold a lock on the work item. If the current requestor does not hold or cannot acquire this lock, the system starts a problem flow rather than the designated flow.)
Filter Flow Rule By	Select `Process Flow` or `Screen Flow` as the category of the destination subprocess to be started.
Flow Rule	Select the Flow Name, the second key part of the flow to be started for the other work item.
Parameters	Some flows have input parameters. Enter parameters for the selected flow.
Application	Optional. Select the name of the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
Work Type	Optional. Select the name of the work type for the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
Specification	Optional. Select the name of the specification for the application and work type that details the implementation requirements for the Subprocess shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents and on the Implementation tab of the corresponding Application Specification.
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, you can localize the corresponding text on work item history displays. 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 Split Join shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action 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. For maximum user flexibility, leave this checkbox unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
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.
Subprocess has Entry Points	In a regular flow, select to allow users to return to the entry points within the Split Join subprocesses using the breadcrumbs control, or clicking a tree-harness node from a completed subprocess or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. For example, assume that a Split Join shape calls a flow containing two assignments ("Review" and "Approve) and the `Page List` has three entries. The label property is set to `.myString` and that the values of `.myString` on each page of the `Page List` are pg1, pg2, and pg3. Then the breadcrumbs appear as: pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve. Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has Entry Points to be selected. By default, the box is cleared.

The Subprocess tab — for flow defined "on Embedded Page"

Use the following table to complete the fields if your flow is being defined on an embedded page:

Field	Description
Name	Enter a name for the subprocess. 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. It does not affect flow execution. When first building, it is simplest to make this name the same as the name of the called flow. Later when your flow is complete, you can change the name to be more descriptive.
Define Flow	Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select: Choose `On Embedded Page` when this flow is part of a Split Join operation.
Page Property	Enter a reference to the property (of mode `Page`, `Page List`, or `Page Group`) that holds the embedded page.
Class	Identify the class (such as the work type) of the embedded page. You can enter a property reference or expression here.
Filter Flow Rule By	Select `Process Flow` or `Screen Flow` as the category of the destination subprocess to be started.
Flow Rule	Select the Flow Name, the second key part of the flow to be started for the other work item.
Parameters	Some flows have input parameters. Enter parameters for the selected flow.
Application	Optional. Select the name of the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
Work Type	Optional. Select the name of the work type for the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
Specification	Optional. Select the name of the specification for the application and work type that details the implementation requirements for the Subprocess shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents and on the Implementation tab of the corresponding Application Specification.
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, you can localize the corresponding text on work item history displays. 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 Split Join shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action 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. For maximum user flexibility, leave this checkbox unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
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.
Subprocess has Entry Points	In a regular flow, select to allow users to return to the entry points within the Split Join subprocesses using the breadcrumbs control, or clicking a tree-harness node from a completed subprocess or the standard flow action -Work.Previous. For example, assume that a Split Join shape calls a flow containing two assignments ("Review" and "Approve) and the `Page List` has three entries. The label property is set to `.myString` and that the values of `.myString` on each page of the `Page List` are pg1, pg2, and pg3. Then the breadcrumbs appear as: pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve. Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has Entry Points to be selected. By default, the box is cleared.

The Flow Input tab

Use the following table to complete the fields on the Flow Input tab:

Field	Description
Condition Type	Choose `Always` or `When`. If you choose `Always`, click . Specify a property Name and Value. If you choose `When`, complete the fields as described below.
When	Optional. Select the When rule containing the test condition.
Likelihood	Associate a likelihood value between 1 and 99 for the connector. At runtime, the system evaluates the conditions in order of deceasing likelihood. Choose distinct likelihood values if you care about the order.

Click to specify a property Name and Value.

The Flow Output tab

Click to specify a property Name and Value.

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 this 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 a ticket icon to the split join shape to indicate one or more tickets are associated with this split join. Assigned ticket names appear beside this icon on the flow.

Field

Description

Ticket Name

Optional. Select one or more tickets that are to be available at runtime from this split join. 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.

About Flows

Flow form — Editing in Process Modeler Split Join shape properties

Purpose

Use the canvas context menu:

Use the toolbar Flow Shape palette:

Use the Flow Shape palette drop-down menu:

Field

Description

The Subprocess tab — for flow defined "On Current Work Item"

Field

Description

The Subprocess tab — for flow defined "On Another Work Item"

Field

Description

The Subprocess tab — for flow defined "on Embedded Page"

Field

Description

The Flow Input tab

Field

Description

The Flow Output tab

Field

Description

Field

Description

Example

Flow form — Editing in Process Modeler
Split Join shape properties