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Sequence and Message Flows (BPMN Descriptive)Locate this document in the navigation structure

Sequence flows are solid lines with an arrow at one end, which link the elements in a process in the diagram or in a single pool and show the order in which they are performed. Message flows are dotted lines with an arrow at one end, which link two separate pools (or elements in two separate pools) and show the direction in which the message is sent.

A sequence or message flow is created automatically when you create an object from the context toolbar of another object. To create a sequence flow explicitly:
  • Select an object in the diagram, click the Link tool in its context toolbar, and drag it to another element in the same pool, or
  • Click the Link tool in the bottom toolbar to select it, and then click and drag from one element to another in a single pool.
To create a message flow explicitly:
  • Select an object in the diagram, click the Link tool in its context toolbar, and drag it to another pool (or an element in another pool), or
  • Click the Link tool in the bottom toolbar to select it and then click and drag from one pool (or an element in the pool) to another pool (or an element in the other pool).

In the following example, note how the flows between tasks in a single pool are solid line sequence flows, while the flows between pools are dotted line message flows:

Sequence and message flows can have the following properties:
Property Description

Name/Code/Comment

Identify the object. The name should clearly convey the object's purpose to non-technical users, while the code, which is used for generating code or scripts, may be abbreviated, and should not normally include spaces. You can optionally add a comment to provide more detailed information about the object. By default the code is generated from the name by applying the naming conventions specified in the model options. To decouple name-code synchronization, click to release the = button to the right of the Code field.
Source/ Destination Specify the objects that are linked by the flow. For sequence flows, the source object comes before the destination object in the process. For message flows, the source object emits the message and the destination object receives it.
Condition [sequence flows] Specifies the condition that must be fulfilled for the process to take this branch following a gateway.