Flow form — Editing in Process Modeler
Split Join shape properties
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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.
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.
indicates that one or more tickets are defined on the Split Join shape. Assigned ticket names appear beside this icon on 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.
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.
on the toolbar Flow Shape palette to display a drop-down shapes menu.1. On the flow Diagram tab, open the properties panel using one of the following:
.2. When the Split Join Properties panel appears, enter a name, no longer than 128 characters, to the right of the shape title (Split Join: [name]). 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.
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 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.
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:
on the toolbar.When a shape is deleted, the connectors to and from the shape remain on the canvasCut or copy shapes from a flow and paste them within the same flow or in other flows within your user session.
to cut a selected shape(s) and connector(s). Cut differs from Delete in that cut shapes appear faded on the canvas until you paste them elsewhere. You can also cut selected shapes using the right-click canvas menu or the shape drop-down menu.
to place selected shape(s) and connector(s) in the copy buffer. You can also copy selected shapes using the right-click canvas menu or the shape drop-down menu.
to paste selected shape(s) and connector(s) elsewhere in the flow or in other flows within your user session. You can also paste selected shapes using the right-click canvas menu or the shape drop-down menu.Complete the sections comprising the property panel as described below.
Field |
Description |
| Join |
Choose
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| Exit iteration |
This field appears only when you select
If this field is not blank, at runtime the system evaluates this when condition rule upon completion of the spawned processes. If true, the Split Join is exited and flow processing continues. If false, no additional flow executions are started and the flow is resumed. For example, you can use this field to exit when a top-level work item property was set to 6 or less, where the subprocess executions contain assignments recording committee member votes, and 6 yes votes count as a majority. |
| When |
This field appears only when you select If this field is not blank, at runtime the system evaluates this when condition rule once for each page of the property in the Page Property field. If false, no additional flow executions are started and the flow is resumed. For example, you can use this field to exit when a top-level work item property was set to 6 or less, where the subprocess executions contain assignments recording committee member votes, and 6 yes votes count as a majority. |
| At least... path(s) |
Enter the minimum number of paths that must result in a specific status to exit the split and resume processing in the original flow. For example, if a given number of users choose a specific flow action that results in a specified flow status, then processing in the original flow resumes. |
| Result with flow status | Identify the status that some flows must reach in order to exit the split and resume processing in the original 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. 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.)
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| 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. 5.2 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.
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| 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 following fields on this section. Click the down arrow beside Specify a Flow Rule for this Subprocess to display the fields for each subprocess. Three tabs appear: Subprocess, Flow Input, and Flow Output.
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.
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| Define Flow |
Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select:
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| Filter Flow Rule By |
Select |
Flow Rule
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| Parameters |
Some flows have input parameters. Enter parameters for the selected flow. |
| Application |
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| Work Type |
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| Specification |
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| Audit Note |
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| 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.
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| 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 pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve.
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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.
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| Define Flow |
Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select:
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| 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
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| Filter flow rule by |
Select |
| 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 |
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| Specification |
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| Audit note |
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| 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.
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| 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 pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve.
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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.
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| Define flow |
Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select:
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| Page property |
Enter a reference to the property (of mode |
| 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 |
| 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.)
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| 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.
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| 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 pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve.
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Use the following table to complete the fields on the Flow Input tab:
Field |
Description |
| Condition Type |
Choose If you choose If you choose |
| 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.
Click to specify a property Name and Value.
Field |
Description |
| Work status |
Enter a work status in this field 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 invokes the UpdateStatus activity. Any defined tickets dependent on the status are raised, as appropriate. The selected status updates .pyStatusWork when the flow execution reaches this assignment 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 displays 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.
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Add a Ticket Name field 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 |
ExampleProcessing 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:
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| Display Name | The Ticket Name appears by default. Enter a name to display other than the ticket name. |
For maximum user flexibility, leave this checkbox unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
Select the Flow Name, the second key part of the flow to be started for the other work item.
New
Open
Pending
Resolved