Configuring a Split Join shape

Use the Split Join shape to require that multiple subprocesses of your flow be completed before the current flow continues execution. This allows subprocesses to execute asynchronously, in parallel.

For example, a mortgage application workflow may require that facts about the home buyers be validated, and that a title search be completed. These two tasks are unrelated and can be performed in subprocesses that proceed independently and in parallel. Other processing later in the primary flow can require that both these two subprocesses complete.

For a working example, see Work-.ParallelWork.

The Split Join shape causes processing of a work item to split into two or more independent flow executions that operate asynchronously and then later rejoin. During execution of a Split Join shape, the flow rule that contains the Split Join shape is known as the parent process flow; each of the split flows is called a subprocess.

1. Double-click the Split Join shape.

2. Enter values on the Details section of the property panel, as described in the table below.

   Options include:

   Field	Description
   Join	Choose Any, All or Some. Choose: All if the current flow is to resume only when all the split subprocesses return. Any if processing in the current flow is to resume after any one of the split subprocesses completes. At that time, processing of the other split subprocesses that have not completed is stopped. Open assignments for these subprocesses are cancelled. Some if multiple subprocesses are spawned and the flow is to resume when a when condition rule is met.
   Exit iteration	This field appears only when you select Some in the Join field. Select On Count or On When to create the condition which causes processing in the original flow to resume. On Count - Enter the number of paths that must result in a specific status in order to exit the split and resume processing in the original flow. On When - Select a when condition rule. The system uses the class of the parent flow as the Applies To key part of the when condition rule. If this field is not blank, at runtime the system evaluates this when condition rule upon completion of the spawned processes. If true, the Split Join is exited and flow processing continues. If false, no additional flow executions are started and the flow is resumed. For example, you can use this field to exit when a top-level work item property was set to 6 or less, where the subprocess executions contain assignments recording committee member votes, and 6 yes votes count as a majority.
   When	This field appears only when you select On When in the Exit Iteration field. Select a when condition rule. The system uses the class of the parent flow as the Applies To key part of the when condition rule. If this field is not blank, at runtime the system evaluates this when condition rule once for each page of the property in the Page Property field. If false, no additional flow executions are started and the flow is resumed. For example, you can use this field to exit when a top-level work item property was set to 6 or less, where the subprocess executions contain assignments recording committee member votes, and 6 yes votes count as a majority.
   At least... path(s)	Enter the minimum number of paths that must result in a specific status to exit the split and resume processing in the original flow. For example, if a given number of users choose a specific flow action that results in a specified flow status, then processing in the original flow resumes.
   Result with flow status	Identify the status that some flows must reach in order to exit the split and resume processing in the original flow.
   Audit note	Optional. Select or enter the name of a Rule-Message rule to control the text of an instances added to the work item history (the "audit trail") when a flow execution completes this shape. The Pega 7 Platform includes a few dozen standard messages in the Work- class. (Through field value rules, you can localize the corresponding text on work item history displays. See About the Localization wizard.) Optionally, to reduce the volume of history detail instances, your application can prevent system-generated messages from being added to work item history. See Controlling the volume of generated work item history instances and the PDN article How to control history instances written to the audit trail.
   Entry Point	Select to indicate that this Split Join shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Previous. The default is cleared. This check box works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Work-.Previous flow action. In other cases, the check box has no effect.
   Only Going Back	This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. For maximum user flexibility, leave this check box unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
   Post Action on Click Away	This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.

3. Click the down arrow beside Specify a Flow Rule for this Subprocess to display the fields for each subprocess.

4. Enter values on the Subprocess, Flow Input, and Flow Output tabs as described in the tables below.

   Subprocess tab for a flow defined on a current work item:

   Use the following table to complete the fields if your flow is being defined on the current work item:

   Field	Description
   Name	Enter a name for the subprocess. Choose a name meaningful to application users who see this on the work item history display, the breadcrumbs control (for entry points), and the Where-Am-I? diagram. It does not affect flow execution. When first building, it is simplest to make this name the same as the name of the called flow. Later when your flow is complete, you can change the name to be more descriptive.
   Define Flow	Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select: On Current Work Item to continue processing on the current (unresolved) work item in the next flow
   Filter Flow Rule By	Select Process Flow or Screen Flow as the category of the destination subprocess to be started.
   Flow Rule	Select the Flow Name, the second key part of the flow to be started for the other work item.
   Parameters	Some flows have input parameters. Enter parameters for the selected flow.
   Application	Optional. Select the name of the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
   Work Type	Optional. Select the name of the work type for the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
   Specification	Optional. Select the name of the specification for the application and work type that details the implementation requirements for the Subprocess shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents and on the Implementation tab of the corresponding Application Specification.
   Audit Note	Optional. Select or enter the name of a Rule-Message rule to control the text of an instances added to the work item history (the "audit trail") when a flow execution completes this shape. The Pega 7 Platform includes a few dozen standard messages in the Work- class. (Through field value rules, you can localize the corresponding text on work item history displays. See About the Localization wizard.) Optionally, to reduce the volume of history detail instances, your application can prevent system-generated messages from being added to work item history. See Controlling the volume of generated work item history instances and the PDN article 25196 How to control history instances written to the audit trail.
   Entry Point	Select to indicate that this Split Join shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Previous. The default is cleared. This check box works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Work-.Previous flow action. In other cases, the check box has no effect.
   Only Going Back	This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. For maximum user flexibility, leave this check box unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
   Post Action on Click Away	This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.
   Subprocess has Entry Points	In a regular flow, select to allow users to return to the entry points within the Split Join subprocesses using the breadcrumbs control, or clicking a tree-harness node from a completed subprocess or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. For example, assume that a Split Join shape calls a flow containing two assignments ("Review" and "Approve) and the Page List has three entries. The label property is set to .myString and that the values of .myString on each page of the Page List are pg1, pg2, and pg3. Then the breadcrumbs appear as: pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve. Note: Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has Entry Points to be selected. By default, the box is cleared.

   Subprocess tab for a flow defined on a specific work item:

   Use the following table to complete the fields if your flow is being defined on another work item:

   Field	Description
   Name	Enter a name for the subprocess. Choose a name meaningful to application users who see this on the work item history display, the breadcrumbs control (for entry points), and the Where-Am-I? diagram. It does not affect flow execution. When first building, it is simplest to make this name the same as the name of the called flow. Later when your flow is complete, you can change the name to be more descriptive.
   Define Flow	Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select: Choose On specific work item to start processing on a different work item.
   Work Property	Enter a property reference in the current work item that identifies the key (.piousness property) of the other work item. Leave this blank if (when this shape is reached) the other work item is already open as a page on the clipboard.
   Class	Select the class (work type) of the "other" work item.
   Page Name	Optional. If (when this shape is reached) the other work item is present on the clipboard, enter the page name that holds it. If the other work item is not present, enter the page name to be created that holds it. When you leave this field blank but complete the Work Property field, the system opens the work item on a page named pyNextObj (or pyNextObj_1, and so on). To start the flow execution, the current requestor must hold a lock on the work item. If the current requestor does not hold or cannot acquire this lock, the system starts a problem flow rather than the designated flow.)
   Filter flow rule by	Select Process Flow or Screen Flow as the category of the destination subprocess to be started.
   Flow rule	Select the Flow Name, the second key part of the flow to be started for the other work item.
   Parameters	Some flows have input parameters. Enter parameters for the selected flow.
   Application	Optional. Select the name of the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
   Work type	Optional. Select the name of the work type for the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
   Specification	Optional. Select the name of the specification for the application and work type that details the implementation requirements for the Subprocess shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents and on the Implementation tab of the corresponding Application Specification.
   Audit note	Optional. Select or enter the name of a Rule-Message rule to control the text of an instances added to the work item history (the "audit trail") when a flow execution completes this shape. The Pega 7 Platform includes a few dozen standard messages in the Work- class. (Through field value rules, you can localize the corresponding text on work item history displays. See About the Localization wizard.) Optionally, to reduce the volume of history detail instances, your application can prevent system-generated messages from being added to work item history. See Controlling the volume of generated work item history instances and the PDN article 25196 How to control history instances written to the audit trail.
   Entry point	Select to indicate that this Split Join shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Previous. The default is cleared. This check box works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Work-.Previous flow action. In other cases, the check box has no effect.
   Only going back	This check box appears only when you select the Entry point check box. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. For maximum user flexibility, leave this check box unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
   Post action on click away	This check box appears only when you select the Entry point check box. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.
   Subprocess has entry points	In a regular flow, select to allow users to return to the entry points within the Split Join subprocesses using the breadcrumbs control, or clicking a tree-harness node from a completed subprocess or the standard flow action Work-.Previous. For example, assume that a Split Join shape calls a flow containing two assignments ("Review" and "Approve) and the Page List has three entries. The label property is set to .myString and that the values of .myString on each page of the Page List are pg1, pg2, and pg3. Then the breadcrumbs appear as: pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve. Note: Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has entry points to be selected. By default, the box is cleared.

   Subprocess tab for a flow defined on an embedded page:

   Use the following table to complete the fields if your flow is being defined on an embedded page:

   Field	Description
   Name	Enter a name for the subprocess. Choose a name meaningful to application users who see this on the work item history display, the breadcrumbs control (for entry points), and the Where-Am-I? diagram. It does not affect flow execution. When first building, it is simplest to make this name the same as the name of the called flow. Later when your flow is complete, you can change the name to be more descriptive.
   Define flow	Identify the objects the flow is to update. Select: Choose On Embedded Page when this flow is part of a Split Join operation.
   Page property	Enter a reference to the property (of mode Page, Page List, or Page Group) that holds the embedded page.
   Class	Identify the class (such as the work type) of the embedded page. You can enter a property reference or expression here.
   Filter flow by	Select Process Flow or Screen Flow as the category of the destination subprocess to be started.
   Flow rule	Select the Flow Name, the second key part of the flow to be started for the other work item.
   Parameters	Some flows have input parameters. Enter parameters for the selected flow.
   Application	Optional. Select the name of the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
   Work type	Optional. Select the name of the work type for the application that you want to link to the shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents.
   Specification	Optional. Select the name of the specification for the application and work type that details the implementation requirements for the Subprocess shape. The value of this field is referenced with the flow diagram in application documents and on the Implementation tab of the corresponding Application Specification.
   Audit note	Optional. Select or enter the name of a Rule-Message rule to control the text of an instances added to the work item history (the "audit trail") when a flow execution completes this shape. The Pega 7 Platform includes a few dozen standard messages in the Work- class. (Through field value rules, you can localize the corresponding text on work item history displays. See About the Localization wizard.) Optionally, to reduce the volume of history detail instances, your application can prevent system-generated messages from being added to work item history. See Controlling the volume of generated work item history instances and the PDN article How to control history instances written to the audit trail.
   Entry Point	Select to indicate that this Split Join shape is an entry point, which a user can return to using the breadcrumbs control or the standard flow action Previous. The default is cleared. This check box works with Perform harnesses that include a breadcrumbs display and with assignments that offer the Work-.Previous flow action. In other cases, the check box has no effect.
   Only going back	This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. Select to restrict users at runtime from jumping ahead to this step without having completed the preceding steps. After having completed this step, users may jump back to it from steps that follow it. For maximum user flexibility, leave this check box unselected if your flow accepts inputs in any order.
   Post Action on Click Away	This check box appears only when you select the Entry Point check box. Select to run flow action post-processing when you click away from this entry point.
   Subprocess has entry points	In a regular flow, select to allow users to return to the entry points within the Split Join subprocesses using the breadcrumbs control, or clicking a tree-harness node from a completed subprocess or the standard flow action -Work.Previous. For example, assume that a Split Join shape calls a flow containing two assignments ("Review" and "Approve) and the Page List has three entries. The label property is set to .myString and that the values of .myString on each page of the Page List are pg1, pg2, and pg3. Then the breadcrumbs appear as: pg1 -Review - Approve - pg2 - Review - Approve — pg3 - Review - Approve. Note: Tabbed nodes and tree harnesses require Subprocess has Entry Points to be selected. By default, the box is cleared.

   Flow input tab:

   Use the following table to complete the fields on the Flow Input tab:

   Field	Description
   Condition Type	Choose Always or When. If you choose Always, add a row and specify a property Name and Value. If you choose When, complete the fields as described below.
   When	Optional. Select the When rule containing the test condition.
   Likelihood	Associate a likelihood value between 1 and 99 for the connector. At runtime, the system evaluates the conditions in order of deceasing likelihood. Choose distinct likelihood values if you care about the order.

5. Click OK to close the property panel.

6. Hover on an existing shape in the flow and drag a connector from it to the Split Join shape.

7. Hover on the Split Join shape and drag a connector to an existing shape in the flow, unless a parallel process resolves a case and does not return to the flow.

Tip: Right-click a Split Join shape to view more configuration options.

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