Connecting nodes

There are a number of different ways to connect nodes in a ruleflow: transitions, branches, forks, and joins. The way you connect nodes impacts the execution flow.

Transitions

Transitions connect nodes in a ruleflow and define the sequence of the ruleflow from one node to another. Transitions are unidirectional and can have associated conditions.

Transition conditions determine whether a transition is part of the execution flow. You define these conditions in the same way as conditions in a rule.

A single transition from one node to another does not require a condition. However, when several transitions originate from a node, you use transition conditions to define under what conditions a specific path is followed in the ruleflow.

To create a transition between to nodes:
  1. Hover over the node that you would like to use as the start of the connection and click the Connect to another node icon Connect to another node icon to begin drawing the connection.
  2. Click the destination node.
  3. To specify a name for the transition, select the transition and edit the default name Transition in the details tab.
  4. To add conditions, click Edit conditions Edit details button next to Conditions in the details tab.

    You can either use the rule language or the advanced rule language (ARL) to type the condition statement.

Branches

A branch organizes conditional transitions. Several transitions can go to and from a branch.

All transitions created from a branch must have a condition, except the Else transition.

To organize conditional transitions:
  1. Add a branch in one of the following ways:
    • Hover over the transition or the node where you want to add the conditional transitions and click the Add branch Add branch icon icon in the toolbar.
    • Click the Add branch Add branch icon in the ruleflow toolbar and connect it to the ruleflow.
  2. Create transitions from the branch and add conditions to them, except for the Else condition.

    Transitions become dashed when you have added conditions to them.

  3. To add a name to the branch node, select the branch node, and click the default name Branch node to edit it.

Forks and joins

A fork splits the execution flow into several parallel paths. A join combines all the transitions created from a fork when the parallel paths are all completed.

The transitions from a fork to a join must not have conditions, because the ruleflow follows all paths in parallel between the fork and the join.

To create parallel paths in your ruleflow:
  1. Add a fork to the ruleflow in one of the following ways:
    • Hover over the transition or the node where you want your ruleflow to execute several rules in parallel and click the Add fork Add fork icon icon in the toolbar.
    • Click the Add fork Add fork icon icon in the ruleflow toolbar and connect it to the ruleflow.
  2. Create several transitions and nodes after the fork. You must create a least two transitions from the fork.
  3. Add a join to the ruleflow in one of the following ways:
    • Hover over one of the nodes you created after the fork and click the Add join Add join icon icon in the toolbar.
    • Click the Add join Add join icon icon in the ruleflow toolbar.
  4. Create transitions from all nodes originating from the fork to join the node. A path created from a fork must lead to a join.