A transition channels execution from one state to the next by recognizing
the triggering event, evaluating the conditions necessary for execution to
flow through it, and determining what actions can occur should execution be
allowed. An event can trigger more than one transition at a time, but only
one of those transitions will fire.
To add a transition, proceed as follows:
- Drop a state onto the canvas.
- Move the cursor over the state until the yellow "lollipop" appears
above it as shown in this image.

- Hold the left mouse button The cursor will change appearance,
and will look like a crossed out circle.
- Drag the cursor out over the canvas. When you hover
over a valid target, the crossed out circle disappears.
- Click the activity that you want to link to. A
dark grey arrow will appear on the canvas linking the source and target activities.
- To designate the transition's visual path on the canvas, right-click
the transition, select and
choose from one of the following two options:
Option |
Description |
Bendpoint |
This is the default setting,
and will automatically choose the shortest and most direct path. You can manually
adjust this path by selecting the transition, clicking the tiny black box
that appears at the midpoint of the transition, and then dragging it to a
new location. Two new black boxes will appear at the mid-point of each half,
and you can adjust these as well until the transition appears on the canvas
as you want. |
Rectilinear |
Choose this setting to have
the transition automatically drawn for you. The bends will always be at ninety
degree angles. |
You will only see one of these options at a time. When one option appears
in the drop-down menu, then the other one is, by default, the active choice.
Note: Exceptions that occur while processing a user action are
ignored and the transition continues in all cases except one: When the triggering
event is a call event and the operation defines a fault message, the transition
will stop and the fault will be propagated back to the caller. Control will
remain in the current state for this one case.
Click on one of
the following links to configure this new transition.