Toolbox

The following drawing tools are available within Process Studio:

Pointer

Allows objects to be highlighted and moved on the canvas

Zoom

Implements a Zoom feature, where left clicking on the process will zoom in and right clicking zooms out.

Action

Places an action on the process. Right click and select properties, to define which action library is to be used and which function within that library is specifically required, eg Microsoft Word library, Print Document function.

Decision

A decision stage is used to determine the process flow within a given process. A decision can only have a True / False answer and requires one link to be drawn in and two links to be drawn out. To specify what constitutes the decision, go to the properties sheet for the decision stage and specify a comparison method and two variables, or constants to compare. e.g. [Arrears] > 500.

A link chains together the various stages within the flowchart and can be quickly reversed using the switch option. Most objects can have many links in, but one link out, with the exception of Data, which has no link capability, Anchor, which can have many links in and Decision, which has two links out.

Calculation

A calculation will manipulate the data within the current process, before placing the result into a pre-determined data box. For example, you might want to add two numbers together, join two or more pieces of text, or round up a balance. See the Calculation Help for more information.

Anchor

An anchor stage is a visual stage and allows links to be placed at right angles around the process, preventing the process from becoming difficult to lay out on the page.

Data

A data box contains the outputs from a given action stage and serves as a container of information which can be used in decisions and actions later in the flowchart.

Collection

A collection is a special type of data box that can hold more than one item of data at any one time. Collections can only be filled by Actions that have an output of type collection.

Loop start

A Loop Start stage marks the beginning of a loop. A loop is usually used to iterate over a collection. That is to say a number of actions contained within the loop are performed on each item in the collection in turn.

Loop end

A Loop End stage marks the end of the loop. The process running must reach this point before the next run of the loop will be started.

Note

A note contains memorandum information about a flowchart or element and displays the text stored in the narrative, not the name. By default, a single note is drawn onto the flowchart with the name and description given when the process was first created.

Start

All flowcharts must have a Start point from which the first link flows.

End stage

All flowcharts must have at least one End point into which the final link(s) terminate.