7.3. Connecting patterns to make a route
Overview
Until the patterns on the canvas (referred to as nodes) are connected, they do not constitute a route. The editor does not save a
route element in the context file until all nodes are linked together to form a complete route. A complete route typically consists of a starting endpoint, a string of processing nodes, and one or more destination endpoints.
Connecting two nodes on the canvas is as simple as dragging a line from one to the other. Each node has a connector arrow. Selecting a node and dragging its connector arrow to a target node establishes a connection between the two nodes.
Procedure
To connect two nodes:
- On the canvas, select the source node to display its connector arrow.
- Click-drag the source node's connector arrow (
) to the target node.
The direction of the connection represents the direction messages flow between the nodes in the route. - While hovering over the target node, release the mouse button to drop the connector on it.The route editor updates the
<route>element with the xml generated from the connection. You can view the xml in Source view. - When you are done, save your work by selecting
from the menu bar.
