Language Reference - FC - Macro Step


A macro step is a hierarchical step containing a subworkspace. A macro step may have one or several input ports and one or several output ports. Each enter step in the subworkspace is associated with an input port and each exit step with an output port. It is the x-position that decides which enter/exit step that is associated with which input/output, i.e. the leftmost enter step is associated with the leftmost input port. When the number of enter or exit steps is changed, you need to trigger an update of the ports manually with Update Stubs in the context menu.

Note: Enter steps and exit steps are not available in the palette but can be created with copy-paste.

Macro Step

When a macro step is activated through an input port the corresponding enter step is activated. When an exit step is activated the transition connected to the corresponding output port is enabled.

The macro step also has an Exception Port on its left-hand side to which an Exception Transition can be connected. Unlike the ordinary transition, the exception transition is enabled all the time while the macro step is active. Exception transitions have priority over ordinary transitions in the case that both are fireable. If an exception transition fires, the execution state of the macro step is saved. On the right-hand side of the macro step, there is a history port. If the macro step is activated through this port, execution is resumed from the saved state.

A macro step may have a name and actions in the same way as ordinary steps. The stored actions of the macro step are executed before the stored actions of the enter step. The exit actions of the macro step are executed after the execution of the exit actions of the exit step. The periodic actions of the macro step are executed while the macro step is active, independently of which internal step that is active. The abort actions of the macro step are executed when the macro step has been aborted due to the firing of an exception transition. The abort actions of the macro step are executed after the abort actions of the internal steps of the macro steps.

Text Methods

Common Methods
Workspace Methods

Context Menu