This topic describes how to perform various tasks in the
flow editor using the keyboard.
The flow editor supports the control key functions provided by
the IBM® Rational® Software Development Platform (see Navigating in the Enterprise Service Tools with the keyboard).
The flow editor also supports the following control keys:
| Key: |
Function in the flow editor: |
| Arrow keys |
For navigating from node to node. |
| / (front slash) |
Cycles through the connections of the currently
selected node. |
| . (period) |
Enables moving the currently selected node (see To move a node on the canvas). |
To make the flow editor the
topmost editor in the view
To make the flow editor the
topmost editor in the editor area:
- These steps assume that the flow editor has been opened but is
not currently the topmost editor in the editor area.
- Holding down the Ctrl key, press F7 repeatedly until the Editor menu
item is selected, then release the Ctrl key. This shifts the input
focus to the editor area.
- Holding down the Ctrl key, press F6 repeatedly until the flow
editor instance that you want to work with is selected, then release
the Ctrl key.
- The flow editor instance that you want to work with should now
be the topmost editor in the editor area.
To expand or contract the command palette
in the flow editor
To expand or contract the command palette
in the flow editor:
- Shift the input focus to the main tab of the flow editor (see To shift the input focus to the main tab of the flow editor).
- If the command palette is contracted and you want to expand it:
- Press the Tab key twice to shift the input focus to the
small dark-blue arrow at the top of the compressed command palette.
- The small blue arrow should now be surrounded by a dotted rectangle,
indicating the that small blue arrow has the input focus.
- If the command palette is expanded and you want to contract it:
- Press the Tab key three times to shift the input focus
to the small dark blue arrow at the top of the expanded palette.
- The small blue arrow should now be surrounded by a dotted rectangle,
indicating the that small blue arrow has the input focus.
- Press Enter.
- The palette expands or contracts.
To select a command to perform
from the menu on the command palette
To select a command
to perform from the menu on the command palette:
- Expand the command palette, if it is not already expanded (see To expand or contract the command palette in the flow editor).
- Shift the input focus to the main tab of the flow editor (see To shift the input focus to the main tab of the flow editor).
The text in the main tab of the flow editor should now be underlined.
- Press the Tab key four times. This shifts the input focus
to the menu on the command palette.
- Use the up and down arrows to move the input focus to the menu
entry that you want to perform.
- A dotted rectangle indicates which entry has the input focus.
- Press Enter.
- The menu entry appears depressed to indicate that it is selected.
- The remaining instructions depend on which menu entry you selected:
To add a node to the canvas
To
add a node to the canvas:
- On the command palette, select the type of node that you want
to add to the flow (Receive, Reply, Throw, Invoke, Assign, Switch,
While) (see To select a command to perform from the menu on the command palette).
- The menu entry that you selected should now appear depressed to
indicate that it is selected.
- Press Shift-F10 to open the flow editor's contextual menu.
- Select Add Node to Canvas and press Enter.
- A node of the type that you selected is added to the canvas.
- Normally you will want to move the new node to another position
(see To move a node on the canvas).
To select a node in the flow
To
select a node in the flow:
- On the command palette, select the Selection command (see To select a command to perform from the menu on the command palette).
- The Selection menu entry should now appear
depressed to indicate that the Selection command is active.
- Press the Tab key. This shifts the input focus to the flow editor's
canvas.
- Use the arrow keys to move the marking rectangle from node to
node.
- Move the marking rectangle to the node that you want to select.
- The node is now selected.
To move a node on the canvas
To
move a node on the canvas:
- Select the node (see To select a node in the flow).
- Press the period key (.).
- Use the arrow keys to move the node to the position that you want.
- Press Enter to confirm the new location, or press Escape to cancel
the move operation.
Note: When you press Escape, you will not see the
cancelation reflected on the flow editor's canvas until you press
Ctrl-S (Save) after having made some other change to the flow.
To connect two nodes on the canvas
Note: You
can connect any two nodes so long as the source node has at least
one output terminal (

) and the target node has at least one input terminal (

).
To
connect two nodes on the canvas:
- Select the source node (see To select a node in the flow).
- The input focus should be still be on the flow editor's canvas.
(You can still move the marking rectangle from node to node.)
- Press Shift-F10 to open the flow editor's contextual menu.
- Select Create Connection and press Enter.
- If the source node has multiple output terminals (
), the Terminal
Selection window opens.
- Select the terminal that you want to be the source of the connection.
- Press OK to close the Terminal Selection window.
- A connection line appears, anchored to the selected terminal (
).
- Use the arrow keys to move the marking rectangle from node to
node.
- If the marking rectangle is a double rectangle, then you can connect
to the selected node.
- If the marking rectangle changes to a single rectangle, then you
cannot connect to the selected node. (For example, if the selected
node is a Receive node, which has no input terminal, then the marking
rectangle changes to a single rectangle.)
- Move the marking rectangle to the target node.
- Press Enter to complete the connection to the target node or press
Esc to cancel this connection.
- At this point the input focus is still on the flow editor's canvas,
and the Selection mode is still active. You
can immediately select another node and create another connection.