Input pin (dictionary item)

Model Parts, Diagrams, Dictionary Items, and Properties > Dictionary items > Input pin (dictionary item)

For automation interface information about an Input Pin, see Object node (automation interface). For automation interface purposes, an Input Pin is an Object Node that has its Node Type set to Input Pin.

An Input Pin receives values from other Actions through Object Flows.

Create an Input Pin on the following ways:

• In a Modeler pane, right-click a valid item (see table that follows), and select New > Object Node > Input Pin. From the Select Object dialog:

◦ To create an Input Pin from an existing Attribute or Parameter, select the Attribute or Parameter, and then click OK.

◦ To create an Input Pin and a new Attribute or Parameter, click New.

• On an Activity Diagram, click the

Input Parameter / Pin button, and then click the edge of the item on which you want to add the Input Pin; or right-click the edge of the item on which you want to add the Input Pin:

◦ To create an Input Pin from an existing Attribute or Parameter, point to New Pin, and the click the command for the Attribute or Parameter for which you want to create the command.

◦ To create an Input Pin and a new Attribute or Parameter, point to New Pin, and the click New Attribute or New Parameter.

• Drag the Attribute or Parameter that is to be the Linked Item of the Input Pin from a Modeler pane to the item or frame on the diagram.

Note that if you drag a Parameter that has an 'in and out' mechanism, Modeler creates an Input Pin and an Output Pin.

When you use the New Attribute or New Parameter command, Modeler creates a new Input Pin and a new Parameter or Attribute on the appropriate item (see the table that follows). The Input Pin is scoped to the Activity that owns the Activity Diagram, unless you create the Input Pin on a Structured Activity Node, in which case the Input Pin is scoped to that Structured Activity Node.

When used on an Activity Diagram, an Input Pin's notation is as follows.

The View Options on an Activity Diagram allow you to show or hide the item type, that is, «Data Store». The view options are set through the Pin entry. See Pin view options - activity diagram.

On an Activity Diagram, you can populate an Input Pin's missing Activity Flows, Comments and Constraints: right-click the Input Pin, point to Populate, and then click the appropriate command.

On a Class Diagram, you can show an Input Pin as an Association between an Activity and a Class, that is, between the Activity that owns the Input Pin and the Class that is that Input Pin's type. To add this Association to a Class Diagram: right-click the Activity, and select Populate > Associations. When shown on a Class Diagram, an Input Pin's notation is as follows.

The View Options on a Class Diagram allows you to show or hide the name of the Input Pin. The View options are set through the Association entry. See Association view options - class diagram.

On a Class Diagram, you can populate an Input Pin's missing Association symbols: right-click the Input Pin, and select Populate > Associations.

An Input Pin represents a Parameter or Attribute (see the table that follows). The item that is represented by an Input Pin is associated with the Input Pin through the Linked Item link, which you can view on the Items tab of an Input Pin's property pages.

If an Activity Diagram symbol has Input Pins that are not shown on an Activity Diagram, you can add an Input Pin to the Activity Diagram symbol in the following ways:

• Right-click the symbol, and select Populate > Pins (populates all pins).

• On an Activity Diagram, click the

Input Parameter / Pin button, and then click the edge of the item on which you want to add the Input Pin; or right-click the edge of the item on which you want to add the Input Pin: from the popup menu, click the command for the Input Pin you want to show.

The type of the item that owns the Input Pin determines what the Input Pin represents. The following table shows you what an Input Pin's Linked Item is for each owning item type.

Symbol on which the Input Pin Appears	Input Pin's Linked Item
Activity (Frame)	Parameter of Activity that owns the Activity Diagram. Parameter Mechanism must be 'In' or 'In and Out'.
Accept Event Action	Not applicable. Accept Event Actions cannot own Input Pins.
Add Structural Feature Value Action	Can own only the default Input Pins (Insert At Pin, Object Pin and Value Pin). These default Input Pins do not have Linked Items. See Add structural feature value action (dictionary item).
Call Behavior Action	Parameter of the Activity that is the Linked Item for the Call Behavior Action. Parameter Mechanism must be 'In' or 'In and Out'.
Call Operation Action	Parameter of the Operation that is the Linked Item for the Call Operation Action. Parameter Mechanism must be 'In' or 'In and Out'. Also, owns a default Input Pin (Target Pin), which does not have a Linked Item.
Clear Association Action	Can own only the default Input Pin (Object Pin). This default Input Pin does not have a Linked Item. Tell me more...
Clear Structural Feature Action	Can own only the default Input Pin (Object Pin). This default Input Pin does not have a Linked Item. See Clear structural feature action (dictionary item).
Create Link Action	Can own only the two default Input Pins, for which the Linked Items are Roles of the Association that is the Linked Item for the Create Link Action. See Create link action (dictionary item).
Create Object Action	Not applicable Create Object Actions cannot own Input Pins.
Destroy Link Action	Can own only the two default Input Pins, for which the Linked Items are Roles of the Association that is the Linked Item for the Create Link Action. See Destroy link action (dictionary item).
Destroy Object Action	Can own only the default Input Pin (Target Pin). This default Output Pin does not have a Linked Item.
Opaque Action	No Linked Item.
Read Extent Action	Not applicable Read Extent Actions cannot own Input Pins.
Read Link Action	Can own only the default Input Pin, for which the Linked Item is the source Role of the Association that is the Linked Item for the Read Link Action. Read link action (dictionary item).
Read Self Action	Not applicable Read Select Actions cannot own Input Pins.
Remove Structural Feature Value Action	Can own only the default Input Pins (Object Pin, Remove At Pin and Value Pin). These default Input Pins do not have Linked Items. See Remove structural feature value action (dictionary item).
Read Structural Feature Action	Can own only the default Input Pin (Object Pin). This default Input Pin does not have a Linked Item. Tell me more...
Send Signal Action	Attribute of the Signal that is the Linked Item for the Send Signal Action. Also, owns a default Input Pin (Target Pin), which does not have a Linked Item.
Structured Activity Node	No Linked Item.
Test Identity Action	Can own only the default Input Pins (First Input Pin and Second Input Pin). These default Input Pins do not have a Linked Item. Test identity action (dictionary item)
Value Specification Action	Not applicable Value Specification Actions cannot own Input Pins.

Modeler ensures that the name of an Input Pin or Output Pin matches the name of its linked item:

• If you change the name of the Input Pin or Output Pin, Modeler changes the name of the linked item to match.

• If you change the name of an Input Pin's or Output Pin's linked item, Modeler changes the name of the Input Pin or Output Pin to match.

In the Dictionary pane, Input Pins are listed in the UML\Object Nodes folder.

In the Modeler panes, a short-cut symbol

on the Input Pin's icon indicates that the item is a stub.

The following sections provide information about how an Input Pin 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 an Input Pin has these properties:

• Data Type (Type association through the automation interface)

• Multiplicity

• Ordering

• Visibility

Owned by

Activity

Add Structural Feature Value Action

Attribute —The Input Pin is owned jointly by the scoping Activity or Structured Activity Node, and the Attribute that is the Linked Item for the Input Pin.

Call Behavior Action

Call Operational Action

Clear Association Action

Clear Structural Feature Action

Create Link Action

Destroy Link Action

Destroy Object Action

Opaque Action

Parameter —The Input Pin is owned jointly by the scoping Activity or Structured Activity Node, and the Parameter that is the Linked Item for the Input Pin.

Read Link Action

Read Structural Feature Action

Remove Structural Feature Value Action

Send Signal Action

Structured Activity Node —Applies only when the Input Pin is scoped directly to a Structured Activity Node.

Test Identity Action

Owns

Comment

Constraint

Control Flow —The Control Flow is owned jointly by the Input Pin and the associated item. The access permissions you have to a Control Flow are determined by the access permissions you have to its source item.

Dependency —The Dependency is owned jointly by the Input Pin and the other associated item. The access permissions you have to a Dependency are determined by the access permissions of the dependent item.

Exception Handler —The Exception Handler is owned jointly by the Input Pin and the associated item. The access permissions you have to an Exception Handler are determined by the access permissions you have to its source item.

IO Flow —The IO Flow is owned jointly by the Input Pin, the IO Flow's other linked item and the IO Flow's IO Item.

Object Flow —The Object Flow is owned jointly by the Output Pin and the associated item. The access permissions you have to an Object Flow are determined by the access permissions you have to its source item.