Connecting shapes in a flow

You can use connectors to integrate shapes in a flow. By using connectors, you can define the different paths that a flow can take at run time.

Note: You cannot make connections to annotations or swimlanes in a flow, and you cannot configure connectors in a screen flow because this type of flow follows one path only.

To connect shapes in a flow:

1. Add a new shape to the flow.

2. To change the path of the flow, redirect the outgoing connector of an existing shape to your shape.

3. Hover over your shape, and then drag a connection point from it to the connection point of another shape in the flow.

   Caution: Do not drag a connection point to the middle of a shape because it creates an unanchored connection that can change position as you update the flow diagram. By default, all connection points in upgraded Visio flows are unanchored.

4. To open the property panel, double-click the connector that leads from your shape.

5. Configure the connector, based on the type of shape that you are adding to your flow.

   To connect the Assignment or Assignment Service shape:

   1. In the Flow action field, press the Down Arrow key and select a flow action that displays instructions to the user who performs the assignment.

   2. In the Likelihood field, enter a number between 1 and 100 that indicates the percentage of time that the user performs the flow action, relative to the flow actions of other outgoing connectors from the assignment.

      If you are providing only one connector for the assignment, enter a likelihood value of 100.

      Tip: To display the likelihood of all connectors in your flow diagram, click the Percent icon in the toolbar of Process Modeler.

   To connect all other shapes:

   1. In the Condition type list, select an option that defines when the flow follows the connector at run time.

      Options include:

      • Always — Follows the connector always, because there is only one path to follow.

      • Else — Follows the connector when no other connector meets the criteria that you define.

      • Result — Follows the connector when the return value of the shape equals the value that you provide.

      • When — Follows the connector when the Boolean expression or when condition that you provide returns a true value.

      • Percentage — Follows the connector for a specific percentage of flow runs.

        For example, you can ensure that 20 percent of mortgage applications take a different path in the flow for auditing purposes.

        This option is available only when you connect a Decision shape that is set to type Fork.
        

   2. In the Result field, enter a return value to evaluate at run time.

      This value can be text or a predefined value, based on the configuration of the shape that you are connecting. For example, a Decision shape returns True or False values when it is configured with a Boolean Expression, or property values when it is configured with a Decision Tree.

      This field is available only when you set the connector type to Result.

   3. In the When field, enter a when condition to evaluate at run time.

      This field is available only when you set the connector type to When.

   4. In the Likelihood field, enter a number between 1 and 100 that indicates the expected percentage of time that your flow follows this connector at run time.

      Your application evaluates connectors in order of decreasing likelihood, and selects the first connector that returns a true value.

6. Click Submit to close the property panel.

7. Repeat steps 3 through 7 to define more connectors, or alternate paths, in the flow.

   Tip: To prevent blocked flows, always configure one connector with the Else condition type.

At run time, your application selects one connector to follow. You can test connectors by running your flow.

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