Conversation Diagrams (BPMN Executable)

A conversation diagram focuses on the communications between participants. You cannot create or display processes or choreographies in this diagram.

Note Conversation diagrams can be created and edited in the PowerDesigner desktop client, but are read-only in PowerDesigner Web.

In the following example, the various conversations associated with deliveries from a supplier to a retailer are analyzed:

Note PowerDesigner does not support the display of processes within participant symbols in a conversation diagram.

Conversation nodes 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.
Reusable	Specifies whether the conversation node may be reused in other contexts.
Reuse conversation	Specifies the conversation node that is being reused in this context.
Correlation key	[atomic conversations only] Specifies the correlation key (set of correlation properties drawn from the message) used to associate the conversation to a particular instance of a process (see Correlation Keys (BPMN Executable)). Each flow connected to the node must have the same key as the node.

Note You can associate a conversation node with a choreography diagram or with a choreography task in order to model the choreography of the messages that flow through it. Choreography diagrams and tasks associated with a conversation node are initialized with the participants linked to the node:

To associate a choreography diagram with a conversation node from the choreography diagram, right-click the diagram background and select Diagram Properties , and then select the appropriate node in the Related node list on the General tab of the diagram property sheet. Any choreography tasks you create in the diagram will be initialized with the participants associated with the node.
To associate a choreography task with a conversation node from the task property sheet, select the appropriate node in the Related node list on the General tab of the task property sheet. The task participants will be set to the participants associated with the node.
To associate a conversation node with an existing choreography diagram from the conversation node symbol, right-click the symbol and select Related Diagram <DiagramName> . Alternately, you can create a new choreography diagram from a conversation node, by selecting Related Diagram New . In both cases, to complete the link, you must open the choreography diagram property sheet and select the node in the Related node list. Any choreography tasks you create in the diagram will be initialized with the participants associated with the node.

Conversation links 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.
Participant	Specifies the participant to which the link is joined.
Conversation node	Specifies the conversation node to which the link is joined. Use the tools to the right of the list to create, browse for, or view the properties of the currently selected object.