Model Parts, Diagrams, Dictionary Items, and Properties > Dictionary items > Control flow (dictionary item)
Control flow (dictionary item)
For automation interface information about a Control Flow, see Activity flow (automation interface). For automation interface purposes, a Control Flow is an Activity Flow that has its Flow Type set to Control Flow.
A Control Flow starts an action node item after the previous one is finished.
Create a Control Flow on an Activity Diagram: click the Control Flow button, click the source item, and then click the destination item.
To mark a Control Flow as interrupting an Interruptible Region (applies only when the Control Flow starts inside an Interruptible Region and ends outside the Interruptible Region): Through the Interrupts property on the Items tab of the Control Flow's Property Pages, select the Interruptible Region.
When used on an Activity Diagram, a Control Flow's notation is as follows.
When the Control Flow is marked as interrupting an Interruptible Region, a Control Flow's notation is as follows.
The View Options on an Activity Diagram allow you to show or hide the Name, Guard and Weight of the Control Flow. In addition, you can show the link as a solid or dashed line. The view options are set through the Activity Flow entry. See Activity flow view options - activity diagram.
On an Activity Diagram, you can populate missing Control Flows (and Object Flows and Exception Handlers): right-click the diagram background or a symbol, point to Populate, and then click Activity Flows.
On an Activity Diagram, you can populate a Control Flow's missing Comments and Constraints: right-click the Control Flow, point to Populate, and then click the appropriate command.
The following items can be the source and destination of a Control Flow:
• Accept Event Action
• Activity Final Node
• Add Structural Feature Value Action
• Call Behavior Action
• Call Operational Action
• Clear Association Action
• Clear Structural Feature Action
• Create Link Action
• Create Object Action
• Decision Node
• Destroy Link Action
• Destroy Object Action
• Flow Final Node
• Fork Node
• Initial Node
• Join Node
• Merge Node
• Opaque Action
• Read Extent Action
• Read Link Action
• Read Self Action
• Read Structural Feature Action
• Remove structural feature value action
• Send Signal Action
• Test Identity Action
• Value Specification Action
Through the Control Flow's property pages you can specify its guard and weight.
In the Dictionary pane, Control Flows are listed in the UML\Activity Flows folder.
In the Modeler panes, a short-cut symbol on the Control Flow's icon indicates that the item is a stub.
The following sections provide information about how a Control Flow is used in the model. For more information about a property, item, model part or diagram, click it.
Properties
In addition to the standard properties a Control Flow has these properties:
• Guard
• Weight
Owned by
A Control Flow is owned by the two items it links. The access permissions you have to a Control Flow are determined by the access permissions you have to its source item.
Accept Event Action
Activity Final Node
Add Structural Feature Value Action
Call Behavior Action
Call Operational Action
Clear Association Action
Clear Structural Feature Action
Create Link Action
Create Object Action
Decision Node
Destroy Link Action
Destroy Object Action
Flow Final Node
Fork Node
Initial Node
Join Node
Merge Node
Opaque Action
Read Extent Action
Read Link Action
Read Self Action
Read Structural Feature Action
Remove Structural Feature Value Action
Send Signal Action
Test Identity Action
Value Specification Action
Owns
Comment
Constraint
Dependency —The Dependency is owned jointly by the Control Flow and the other associated item. The access permissions you have to a Dependency are determined by the access permissions of the dependent item.
Defined in these parts of the model
Activity Model
Shown on these diagrams
Activity Diagram
Variant Diagram
Can be linked to these dictionary items
In addition to the owning items, a Control Flow can be linked to the following items.
IO Flow —An IO Flow can be realized by a Control Flow.
Stereotype —To make a Control Flow valid for a Stereotype, set up Activity Flow a valid item type.
Interruptible Activity Region —Specifies that the Control Flow is an interrupting flow for the linked Interruptible Activity Region.
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