Using Information Flows

When you drag an Information Flow connector between two elements on a diagram, Enterprise Architect automatically prompts you to identify the Information items conveyed.

You can also create an Information Flow automatically whilst directly defining Information Flow realization, as you might do on a Message on a Sequence diagram.

Create and realize Information Flows

Step	Action	See also
1	Open a diagram and add two elements (for example, Nodes on a Deployment diagram).
2	Click on the Information Flow connector in the 'Common' page of the Toolbox and drag the cursor between the two elements. The 'Information Items Conveyed' dialog displays.	Convey Information on a Flow
3	Add the classifier or Information Item element(s) to the Information Flow. The diagram now resembles this example:	Convey Information on a Flow
4	Add another connector between the same two elements (for example, a Communication Path connector).
5	Right-click on the connector and select the 'Advanced \| Information Flows Realized' option. The 'Information Flows Realized' dialog displays.
6	Tick the checkbox against each required information item in the realized flow and click on the OK button. The connector now resembles this example, where the black triangle indicates the presence and direction of the Information Flow connector:	Realize an Information Flow

Notes

Once the Information Flow is realized, you cannot access the 'Information Items Conveyed' dialog directly; to add or delete information items on the connector, you 'unrealize' the connector on the 'Information Items Realized' dialog
If you have more than one Information Flow connector between the elements, they form part of the same combined connector; you can again work on them separately through the 'Information Items Realized' dialog
If you have information flows in a diagram that you use as the source for a Pattern, the 'Information Items Conveyed' and 'Information Flows Realized' data is not copied into the Pattern
You can locate, in the Project Browser, the classifier or information item element(s) conveyed on the Information Flow connector, using the 'Find Items Conveyed' context menu option on the connector

Learn more

Message (Sequence Diagram)