Adding a subflow

In a message flow, you can include an embedded message flow, also known as a subflow. For example, you might define a subflow that provides error handling, and include it in a message flow connected to a failure terminal on a node that can generate an error in some situations.

Before you begin

To complete this task, you must have created your subflow in either a .subflow file, or in a .msgflow file. You must also have created a message flow in which to insert the subflow.

For more information about creating a .subflow file, see Creating a subflow.
For more information about creating a .msgflow file, see Creating a message flow.
For more information about the differences between subflows defined in .subflow files and subflows defined in .msgflow files, see Subflows.

About this task

You can embed subflows into your message flow if either of the following statements is true:

The subflow that you want to embed is defined in the same application, library, or integration project as the message flow.
The subflow is defined in a different library, and you have specified the dependency of the current application, library, or integration project on that other library.

If you want to embed subflows into other subflows, be aware of the following information:

You can embed subflows that are defined in .subflow files into subflows that are defined in .subflow files and .msgflow files.
You can embed subflows that are defined in .msgflow files into subflows that are defined only in .msgflow files.
A subflow in a shared library can contain another subflow in the same library or in another shared library.

Subflows in shared libraries cannot be in the default broker schema.

When an application or shared library references other shared libraries, all the subflows for a broker schema must be in a single container. Subflows for a broker schema must not be in both an application (or shared library) and a shared library that is referenced by that application (or shared library). Subflows for a broker schema must not be in two or more shared libraries that are referenced by a single application or shared library. All the subflows in a broker schema must be either in the main application or shared library, or in a single referenced shared library.

Procedure

To add a subflow to a message flow or subflow, complete the following steps:

Open the message flow or subflow in which you want to embed the subflow.
To add a subflow, drag the message flow or subflow that you want to add from the Application Development view to the editor.
Alternatively, click Flow > Add subflow, then select the flow that you want to add from the list.

The embedded subflow is shown in the Message Flow editor as a single node with the terminals that represent the Input and Output nodes that you have included in the subflow.
Connect the subflow node to one or more of the nodes in the main message flow or subflow.
For more details, see Connecting message flow nodes.
To add and connect further subflow nodes, repeat steps 2 and 3.
To work with the contents of the subflow, double-click the subflow icon.
The subflow opens in the Message Flow editor.

What to do next

You can package subflows that are defined in .msgflow files as user-defined nodes so that you can use them in message flows and subflows; for more information, see Using a subflow as a user-defined node.