Stepping through a Process

When you set a breakpoint in a process definition, the process executes all activities up to the activity with the breakpoint. Once the breakpoint halts processing, you can step through the process using the toolbar icons or menu items. Stepping through the process allows you to examine the executing process instance at your own pace. You can step to the next activity, step into or out of a subprocess, or you can choose another activity later in the process definition and execute from the current point to that later activity. See Test Mode Buttons and Menus for more information about the toolbar icons and menu items that allow you to step through a process.

When stepping through a process definition, activities are executed as you pass them. The currently highlighted activity is executed after you choose your next step. If there are multiple paths in a process definition, all transitions that evaluate to true are taken, but only one path is chosen to be highlighted as the next activity when you choose Step to Next Activity.

When you choose to step through a process, breakpoints are still honored, no matter which menu item or toolbar icon you choose. For example, if you are currently in a subprocess and you choose the Step Out of a Subprocess menu item or toolbar icon, execution continues until the next breakpoint occurs or processing of the subprocess completes. If there is a breakpoint before the subprocess completes, processing halts at that breakpoint, and you must choose Step Out of Subprocess again to continue processing.