Data Object Element

Add, delete, and configure Data Object element in your Process model.

Don't Know What a Data Object Element Is?

See Process Modeling Element Descriptions for a description of the Data Object element.

Permissions Required

Your user account or group membership must have the following permissions to configure a Data Object element in the Process model unless your user account has the Make this user a Super Admin setting selected:

• Processes: Edit Processes

• Processes: View Processes

See the Process permissions or ask your Administrator for assistance.

Add a Data Object Element to the Process Model

Add a Data Object element from one of the following locations in Process Modeler:

• Explorer panel: The Explorer panel is to the left of the Process Modeler canvas. The Explorer panel contains Process model objects and PM Blocks which may be added to the Process model.

• Objects bar: The Objects bar is at the bottom of the Process Modeler canvas. This bar contains pinned Process model objects which are easily accessible to add to the Process model.

Permissions are required to do this.

Add from the Explorer panel

Follow these steps to add a Data Object element from the Explorer panel to the Process model:

1. Ensure that the Explorer panel is visible. If not, click the Add icon from the Objects bar to display the Explorer panel.
2. Locate the Data Object object category from one of the following locations in the Explorer panel:

   • Pinned Objects: The Data Object object category displays from the Pinned Objects section when it is pinned. This element type is not pinned by default.

   • Object Category: The Data Object object category displays from the Object Category section when it is not pinned.

3. Click the Data Object object category.

   Its icon displays adjacent to the mouse icon to indicate this element type may be placed into the Process model.

4. Click the location in the Process model to place this element. If a Pool element is in your Process model, the Data Object element cannot be placed outside of the Pool element.

Add from the Objects bar

Follow these steps to add a Data Object element from the Objects bar to the Process model:

1. Ensure that the Data Object object category is pinned to the Objects bar. If not, pin it.
2. Click the Data Object object category's icon. This object's icon displays adjacent to the mouse icon to indicate this element type may be placed into the Process model.

3. Click the location in the Process model to place this element. If a Pool element is in your Process model, the Data Object element cannot be placed outside of the Pool element.

After the element is placed into the Process model, you may adjust its location in the following ways:

• Move the element by dragging it to a new location.

• Select the element with other elements and/or connectors, and then move them collectively by dragging them to new locations in relation to one another.

• Align and/or distribute the element in relation to other selected elements and/or connectors.

Moving a Data Object element has the following limitations in regards to the following Process model elements:

• Pool element: If the Data Object element is inside of a Pool element, it cannot be moved outside of the Pool element. If you attempt to do so, Process Modeler places the Data Object element inside the Pool element closest to where you attempt to move it.

• Lane element: If the Data Object element is inside of a Lane element, it can be moved to another Lane element in the same Pool element. However, the Data Object element cannot be moved outside of the Pool element.

Change a Data Object Element's Color

See Change a Process Model Object's Color.

Copy a Data Object Element

See Copy Elements and Connectors into the Clipboard.

Clone a Data Object Element

See Clone Elements and Connectors Without the Clipboard.

Delete a Data Object Element

See Delete Elements and Connectors.

Data Object Element Settings

The Data Object element has the following panels that contain settings:

• Configuration panel

  • Edit the element name

• Documentation panel (available when the Documentation package is installed)

  • Edit the element's description displayed in Process documentation

• Advanced panel

  • Edit the node's identifier value

Configuration Panel Settings

Edit the Element Name

Process Modeler automatically assigns a default name to a new Data Object element. However, change the name to provide context to your Process model.

Permissions are required to do this.

Follow these steps to edit the name for a Data Object element:

1. Select the Data Object element from the Process model in which to edit its name.

2. Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. The Name setting displays.
3. In the Name setting, edit the selected element's name to display in the Process model and then press Enter.

Documentation Panel Settings

Edit the Element's Description Displayed in Process Documentation

If the Documentation package is installed, describe the element's purpose and how it functions in the Process. This description does not affect Requests for the Process, but may be useful for Process model maintenance such as how the element is configured. Edit information by using the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) rich text editor.

A Process's entered documentation displays by selecting the View Documentation icon for that Process.

Package Required

The Documentation package must be installed to view or edit the documentation for a Process element. Use the Documentation package to view documentation for Processes that includes an image of the Process map and entered description of its elements and connectors.

Follow these steps to edit the description for an element:

1. Select the element from the Process model in which to edit its description.

2. Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.

3. Expand the Documentation panel if it is not presently expanded. The Description setting displays.
4. In the Description setting, edit the information to display when viewing documentation for this element and then press Enter. Alternatively, use the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) rich text editor to stylize your text by clicking the More icon.

   Follow these guidelines to use the WYSIWYG rich text editor to stylize your text:

   • Undo changes: Click on theicon to undo the last action.
   • Redo changes: Click on theicon to redo the last undone action.
   • Insert/Edit Link: Click on theicon to convert the selected text into a hyperlink. Follow these steps to create a hyperlink:

     1. Select the required text from the Rich Text control.

     2. Click on theicon. The Insert/Edit Link screen displays.
     3. In the URL setting, enter the destination URL.

     4. In the Text to display setting, edit or enter the text displayed in the Rich Text control.

     5. In the Title setting, enter the text to display when a user hovers over the displayed text.

     6. From Open link in… drop-down menu, select one of these options:

        • New window: Select this option to open the destination page in a new browser window.

        • Current window: Select this option to open the destination page in the current browser window.

   • Insert/Edit Image: Click on the Insert/Edit Image iconto insert an image. Follow these guidelines:

     1. Click on the Insert/Edit Image icon.
     2. The Insert/Edit Image screen displays:
     3. In the Source setting, enter a URL for the image.

     4. In the Alternative Description setting, enter the text to display if the source URL of the image is not accessible.

     5. In the Width setting, enter the maximum width for the image.

     6. In the Height setting, enter the maximum height for the image.

     7. Toggle the Constrain Proportions iconto maintain the width-height ratio of the image to its original proportion.
     8. Click Save.

   • Insert Page Break for PDF: Click on the Insert Page Break for PDF iconto insert a page break when a PDF document is created for this documentation if your browser supports this feature.
   • Format text: Follow these guidelines to format text:

     • Headings: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Headings and then select a heading size.

     • Bold: Do one of the following:

       • From the editor toolbar, select theicon.
       • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Bold.

     • Italics: Do one of the following:

       • From the editor toolbar, select theicon.
       • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Italic.

     • Underline: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Underline.

     • Strikethrough: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Strikethrough.

     • Superscript: From the Paragraph/ Formats menu, select Inline and then Superscript.

     • Subscript: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Subscript.

     • Code: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Code.

     • Paragraph: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Paragraph.

     • Blockquote: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Blockquote.

     • Division: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Div.

     • Preformatted: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Pre.

     • Change text color: Use the Text Color drop-down to change text color. Click on theicon. The color palette displays. Do one of the following:

       • Select one of the color swatches from the color palette. The selected text changes to that color.

         • Click theicon to select a custom color from the Color Picker.
         • Click theicon to reset the text to its default color.
     • Align text: Follow these guidelines to align text:

       • Left align: Do one of the following:

         • From the editor toolbar, use theicon to left-align text.
         • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Left.

       • Center align: Do one of the following:

         • From the editor toolbar, use theicon to center-align text.
         • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Center.

       • Right align: Do one of the following:

         • From the editor toolbar, use theicon to right-align text.
         • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Right.

       • Justify: Do one of the following:

         • From the editor toolbar, use theicon to justify text.
         • From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Justify.

     • Insert a bullet list: Use theicon to format text as a bulleted list.
     • Insert a numbered list: Use theicon to format text as a numbered list.
     • Indent text: Click on theicon to increase text indenting.
     • Outdent text: Click on theicon to decrease text indenting.

Advanced Panel Settings

Edit the Node's Identifier Value

Process Modeler automatically assigns a unique value to each Process node added to a Process model. However, a node's identifier value can be changed if it is unique to all other nodes in the Process model, including the Process model's identifier value.

Permissions are required to do this.

All identifier values for all nodes in the Process model must be unique.

Follow these steps to edit the identifier value for a Data Object element:

1. Select the Data Object element from the Process model in which to edit its identifier value.

2. Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.

3. Expand the Advanced panel if it is not presently expanded. The Node Identifier setting displays. This is a required setting.
4. In the Node Identifier setting, edit the element's identifier to a unique value from all nodes in the Process model and then press Enter.

Related Topics

pageProcess Modeling Element Descriptions