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  Flow form — Editing with Process Modeler
Editing the Subprocess shape properties

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A Subprocess shape may represent any of the following:

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

Check the Spinoff Flow box to cause this shape to start an asynchronous flow execution at runtime, in which the current flow execution continues while the subprocess executes. When this box is checked, appears on the Subprocess shape.

Add a Subprocess to the process 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:

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

Use the toolbar Flow Shape palette:

  1. 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.
  2. Click and drag the Subprocess shape to the canvas.
  3. Close the Flow Shape palette at any time.

Use the Flow Shape palette drop-down menu:

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

Deleting a Subprocess shape from the flow

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

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

Note: When a shape is deleted, the connectors to and from the shape are not deleted.

Cutting, copying, and pasting Subprocess shapes

Cut or copy shapes from a flow and paste them within the same flow or in other flows within your user session.

Editing Subprocess Properties

  1. On the flow diagram, open the properties panel using one of the following:
  1. When the Subprocess Properties panel appears, enter a name, no longer than 128 characters, to the right of the shape title (Subprocess: [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. The shape name is only descriptive; it does not affect runtime execution. For example: Customer Limit Check.

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

    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.
  1. Complete the fields as described in the tables below.
  2. Click OK or click anywhere off the shape to save edits and close the panel.
  3. Click and drag the shape as needed to position it in the flow.
  4. Connect at least one incoming connector to the Subprocess shape.
  5. Connect at least one outgoing connector from the Subprocess shape to another shape.

Completing the property panel sections

Complete the sections comprising the property panel as described below. If this flow is a screen flow, special rules apply.

Details

The fields that appear depend upon your selection in the Define flow field.

For flow defined "on current page"

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

Field

Description

Define flow

Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select:

  • On Current page to continue processing on the current (unresolved) work item in the next flow
Filter flow By

Select Process Flow or Screen Flow as the category ofd the destination Subprocess to be started.

Flow name

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.

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.

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. The Pega 7 Platform 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.

Spinoff flow

Select to indicate that this Subprocess is a Spinoff Flow. When a work item advancing through a flow reaches a Subprocess with Spinoff Flow selected, the Pega 7 Platform starts execution of a different flow, using the current or a different work item. Processing in the current flow continues in parallel, without waiting for the other flow to complete. When this box is checked, appears on the Subprocess shape.

Entry point

Select to indicate that this Subprocess 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 check box works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Work-.Previous flow action. In other cases, the check box has no effect.

Only going back

This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. 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 check box unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.

Post Action on click away

This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. 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 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 Subprocess 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.

Note: Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has Entry Points to be selected.

By default, the box is cleared.

For flow defined "on specific work item"

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

Field

Description

Define flow

Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select:

  • On specific 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 (.pzInsKey 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 by

Select Process Flow or Screen Flow as the category of the destination subprocess to be started.

Flow name

Select 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.

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. The Pega 7 Platform 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 How to control history instances written to the audit trail.

Spinoff flow

Select to indicate that this Subprocess is a Spinoff Flow. When a work item advancing through a flow reaches a Subprocess with Spinoff Flow selected, the Pega 7 Platform starts execution of a different flow, using the current or a different work item. Processing in the current flow continues in parallel, without waiting for the other flow to complete. When this box is checked, appears on the Subprocess shape.

Entry point

Select to indicate that this Subprocess 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 check box works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Work-.Previous flow action. In other cases, the check box has no effect.

Only going back

This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. 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 check box unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.

Post action on click away

This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. 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 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.

Note: Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has Entry Points to be selected.

By default, the box is cleared.

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

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 by

Select Process Flow or Screen Flow as the category of the destination subprocess to be started.

Flow name

Select 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.

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. The Pega 7 Platform 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 How to control history instances written to the audit trail.

Spinoff flow

Select to indicate that this Subprocess is a Spinoff Flow. When a work item advancing through a flow reaches a Subprocess with Spinoff Flow selected, the Pega 7 Platform starts execution of a different flow, using the current or a different work item. Processing in the current flow continues in parallel, without waiting for the other flow to complete.

Entry point

Select to indicate that this Subprocess 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 check box works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Work-.Previous flow action. In other cases, the check box has no effect.

Only going back

This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. 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 check box unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.

Post action on click Away

This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. 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 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.

Note: Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has Entry Points to be selected.

By default, the box is cleared.

Specification

Field

Description

Specification Enter a name to associate a specification with this shape. You can either select an existing specification by selecting Choose another specification from the Specification Actions menu, or by entering text in the field to create a new specification. Enter a description in the text area beneath the specification name. When you click OK in the Assignment Properties dialog, the system creates or updates the specification. See Working with specifications in Process Modeler and Case Designer.

 

Advanced

Complete the Status and Tickets sections as described below.

Status

Complete the Status section 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

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

Tickets

Add a Ticket Name in the Tickets section 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 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 subprocess shape to indicate one or more tickets are associated with this subprocess. Assigned ticket names appear beside this icon on the flow.

Field

Description

Ticket Name

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

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.

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