Adding a message flow node

When you have created a message flow, add nodes to define its function.

1. Open the message flow with which you want to work.
2. Open the Palette.
   • Hold the mouse pointer over the palette bar while it is in collapsed mode. The palette bar expands. When you move the mouse pointer away from the palette bar, it collapses again.
   • Click the Show Palette icon at the top of the palette bar. The palette bar expands and it remains expanded when the mouse is moved away from the palette bar. To collapse the palette bar again, click the Hide Palette icon at the top of the palette bar while it is in expanded mode.
3. Click Selection above the palette of nodes.
4. Decide which node you want to add: a built-in node or a user-defined node.
   You can select any of the nodes that are displayed in the node palette, but you can add only one node at a time.

   Nodes are grouped in categories according to the function that they provide. To see descriptions of the nodes in the palette, either hold the mouse pointer over a node in the palette, or switch to the Details view by following the instructions in Changing the palette layout.

5. Drag the node from the node palette onto the canvas.

   When you add a node to the canvas, the editor automatically assigns a name to the node, but the name is highlighted and you can change it by entering a name of your choice. If you rename the node, the name that you choose must be unique in the message flow. If you do not change the default name at this time, you can change it later, see Renaming a message flow node. The default name is set to the type of node for the first instance. For example, if you add an MQInput node to the canvas, it is given the name MQInput; if you add a second MQInput node, the default name is MQInput1; the third is MQInput2, and so on.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to add further nodes.
7. You can also add nodes from other flows into this flow:
   1. Open the other message flow.
   2. Select the node or nodes that you want to copy from the editor or outline views, and press Ctrl+C or click Edit > Copy.
   3. Return to the flow with which you are currently working.
   4. Press Ctrl+V or click Edit > Paste.
      This action copies the node or nodes into your current flow. The node names and properties are preserved in the new copy.