Decision node (dictionary item)

Model Parts, Diagrams, Dictionary Items, and Properties > Dictionary items > Decision node (dictionary item)

For automation interface information about a Decision Node, see Control node (automation interface). For automation interface purposes, a Decision Node is a Control Node that has its Node Type set to Decision Node.

A Decision Node is a control node that chooses between outgoing flows. A Decision Node has one incoming flow and multiple outgoing flows.

Create a Decision Node through a Modeler explorer pane or an Activity Diagram:

• In a Modeler pane, right-click an Activity or Structured Activity Node, and select New > Control Node > Decision Node.

• On an Activity Diagram, click the

Decision Node button, and then click in free space or inside an Activity Partition, Interruptible Activity Region or Structured Activity Node.

When you create a Decision Node, you can specify its Behavior through the Options tab of the Decision Node's property pages.

When used on an Activity Diagram, a Decision Node's notation is as follows.

The View Options on an Activity Diagram allow you to show or hide the Name. In addition, the view options allow you to dock the Decision Node onto the boundary of an Activity Partition. The view options are set through the Control Node entry. See Control node view options - activity diagram.

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

In the Dictionary pane, Decision Nodes are listed in the UML\Control Nodes folder.

In the Modeler panes, a short-cut symbol

on the Decision Node's icon indicates that the item is a stub.

The following sections provide information about how a Decision Node 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 Decision Node has these properties:

• Behavior (Decision Input association through the automation interface).

• Visibility

Owned by

Activity

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

Owns

Comment

Constraint

Control Flow — The Control Flow is owned jointly by Decision Node 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 Decision Node and the other associated item. The access permissions you have to a Dependency are determined by the access permissions of the dependent item.

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

Object Flow — The Object Flow is owned jointly by Decision Node 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.