Designing the Procedure Interaction › Flows › Using Autoflows

Using Autoflows

In many cases, the only processing associated with a value of command is the setting of an exit state with a particular value. An autoflow is appropriate if the only logic placed behind a GUI object on a window or dialog box sets an exit state to cause a flow.

It is possible to associate a particular value of command with a particular value of exit state. A command associated with an exit state value for a procedure is called an autoflow because it can be used to initiate a flow without any action diagram logic to support it.

At execution time, autoflows are processed as follows:

1. The CA Gen window manager evaluates the command special attribute. If the command special attribute value contains an autoflow, the execution of the procedure's action diagram is bypassed. Otherwise, the value of command is passed along to the action diagram as usual.
2. Exit State is set to the exit state value associated with the autoflow. If the value of exit state is associated with a flow, the flow happens as if Exit State had been set with the EXIT STATE IS action in an action diagram.