Aligning and arranging nodes

When you are working in the Message Flow editor, you can decide how your nodes are aligned in the editor view.

Before you begin

This option is closely linked to the way in which your nodes are arranged. The default for both alignment and arrangement is left to right, which means that the in terminal of a node appears on its left edge, and its out terminals appear on its right edge. You can also change this characteristic of a node by rotating the icon display to right to left, top to bottom, and bottom to top.

To complete this task, you must have completed the following task:

About this task

To modify the way in which nodes and connections are displayed in the editor:

Procedure

  1. Switch to the Integration Development perspective.
  2. Open the message flow that you want to work with.
  3. Click Selection above the node palette.
  4. Right-click in the editor window and select Manhattan Layout if you want the connections between the nodes to be displayed in Manhattan style; that is with horizontal and vertical lines joined at right angles.
  5. If you want to change the layout of the complete message flow:
    1. Right-click in the editor view and click Layout.
      The default for the alignment is left to right, such that your message flow starts (with an input node) on the left and control passes to the right.
    2. From the four further options displayed, Left to Right, Right to Left, Top to Bottom, and Bottom to Top, click the option that you want for this message flow.
      The message flow display is updated to reflect your choice. As a result of the change in alignment, all the nodes in the message flow are also realigned.

      For example, if you have changed from a left to right display (the default) to a right to left display, each node in the flow has now also changed to right to left (that is, the in terminal now appears on the right edge, the out terminals appear on the left edge).

  6. You might want to arrange an individual node in a different direction from that in which the remaining nodes are arranged in the message flow:
    1. Right-click the node that you want to change and click Rotate.
      Four further options are displayed: Left to Right, Right to Left, Top to Bottom, and Bottom to Top. The option that represents the current arrangement of the node is not available for selection.
    2. Click the option that you want for this node.

Results

If you change the alignment of the message flow, or the arrangement of an individual node, or both, these settings are saved when you save the message flow. They are applied when another user accesses this same message flow, either through a shared repository or through shared files or import and export. When you reopen the message flow, you see these changed characteristics. The alignment and arrangement that you have selected for this message flow have no effect on the alignment and arrangement of any other message flow.

You can also access the editor toolbar to select other options related to the display and arrangement of nodes, for example, snap to grid. These options are defined in Message Flow editor.