Cheatsheet

Every keyword and rule of the Instant Process language on one page. Each row links to the chapter with the full explanation. The Formal specification holds the grammar.

Syntax at a glance

One row per keyword, with its Dutch spelling and its syntax on one line. Square brackets mark an optional part.

Keyword	Dutch	Syntax
START	BEGIN, START	START [id] 'description' NEXT [target ['label']]
END	EINDE	END [id] 'description'
END-TERMINATE	EINDE-BEEINDIGEN	END-TERMINATE [id] 'description'
ACTIVITY	ACTIVITEIT	ACTIVITY [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT	EVENT	EVENT [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-MESSAGE	EVENT-BERICHT	EVENT-MESSAGE [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-TIMER	EVENT-TIMER	EVENT-TIMER [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-CONDITIONAL	EVENT-CONDITIE	EVENT-CONDITIONAL [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-ESCALATION	EVENT-ESCALATIE	EVENT-ESCALATION [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-LINK	EVENT-KOPPELING	EVENT-LINK [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-ERROR	EVENT-FOUT	EVENT-ERROR [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-CANCEL	EVENT-ANNULEREN	EVENT-CANCEL [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-COMPENSATION	EVENT-COMPENSATIE	EVENT-COMPENSATION [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
EVENT-SIGNAL	EVENT-SIGNAAL	EVENT-SIGNAL [id] 'description' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
GATEWAY	KEUZE	GATEWAY [id] 'description' NEXT target ['label'] AND target ['label']
GATEWAY-EVENT	KEUZE-EVENT	GATEWAY-EVENT [id] 'description' NEXT target ['label'] AND target ['label']
GATEWAY-EXCLUSIVE	KEUZE-EXCLUSIEF	GATEWAY-EXCLUSIVE [id] 'description' NEXT target ['label'] AND target ['label']
GATEWAY-PARALLEL	KEUZE-PARALLEL	GATEWAY-PARALLEL [id] 'description' NEXT target AND target
GATEWAY-INCLUSIVE	KEUZE-INCLUSIEF	GATEWAY-INCLUSIVE [id] 'description' NEXT target ['label'] AND target ['label']
GATEWAY-COMPLEX	KEUZE-COMPLEX	GATEWAY-COMPLEX [id] 'description' NEXT target ['label'] AND target ['label']
NEXT	VOLG	... NEXT [target ['label']]
NEXT-MESSAGE	VOLG-BERICHT	... NEXT-MESSAGE [target ['label']]
NEXT-ASSOCIATION	VOLG-ASSOCIATIE	... NEXT-ASSOCIATION [target ['label']]
AND	EN	... NEXT target ['label'] AND target ['label']
LANE	LANE	LANE Name
POOL	POOL	POOL Name [NEXT-MESSAGE target ['label']]
SUBPROCESS	SUBPROCES	SUBPROCESS [id] 'description' PROCESS 'process-id' [NEXT [target ['label']]]
PROCESS	PROCES	SUBPROCESS 'description' PROCESS 'process-id'
DATA	DATA	DATA [id] 'description' [NEXT target ['label']]
DATABASE	DATABASE	DATABASE [id] 'description' [NEXT target ['label']]
TEXT	TEKST	TEXT [id] 'description' [NEXT target]

The shape of a line

One line declares one node.

KEYWORD [explicit-id] 'description' [NEXT target ['label'] [AND target ['label']]...] [NEXT-MESSAGE ...] [NEXT-ASSOCIATION ...]

ACTIVITY 'Review order' NEXT 'Ship order' 'Approved' AND 'Reject order' 'Rejected'

Part	Rule
KEYWORD	The node type. Keywords are uppercase.
explicit-id	Optional. Letters, digits, _ and -, starting with a letter or _. No spaces, no quotes.
'description'	Required. The label, in single quotes. Never empty.
target	A node: its description in quotes, or its explicit id without quotes.
'label'	Optional. A label on the link, written directly after its target.
# comment	Runs to the end of the line. A # inside quotes is part of the text.

Nodes

Keyword	Draws	Takes links	Chapter
START	Start event	Yes	Basic nodes
END	End event	No	Basic nodes
END-TERMINATE	Terminate end event, ends the whole process at once	No	Basic nodes
ACTIVITY	A work step	Yes	Basic nodes
SUBPROCESS 'label' PROCESS 'process-id'	A step that stands for another process in the drive	Yes	Subprocesses
DATA	A data artifact, page shape	Yes, to the nodes it belongs with	Attachments
DATABASE	A persistent store, cylinder shape	Yes, to the nodes it belongs with	Attachments
TEXT	A text annotation, the text inside an open bracket	Yes, associations only, to the nodes it explains	Attachments

Events

Keyword	Marker	Direction	Use for
EVENT	None	Catch	An occurrence with an unspecified trigger
EVENT-MESSAGE	Envelope	Throw when it only sends a message flow, else catch	A message sent or received
EVENT-TIMER	Clock	Catch	A date, a delay or a recurring time
EVENT-CONDITIONAL	Lined page	Catch	A condition or business rule becoming true
EVENT-ESCALATION	Upward triangle	Throw	Handing control to a higher level
EVENT-LINK	Arrow	Catch, throw as an end event	A connector between two parts of the same diagram
EVENT-ERROR	Lightning bolt	Throw	An error interrupting the flow
EVENT-CANCEL	X	Throw	A cancelled transaction
EVENT-COMPENSATION	Rewind	Throw	Undoing a completed step
EVENT-SIGNAL	Triangle	Catch, throw as an end event	A signal many parts of a process react to

A catch event draws its marker as an outline and a throw event draws it filled. A start event always catches.

See Event nodes.

Gateways

Keyword	Marker	Paths taken
GATEWAY	None	Unspecified
GATEWAY-EXCLUSIVE	×	Exactly one
GATEWAY-PARALLEL	+	All, concurrently
GATEWAY-INCLUSIVE	○	One or more
GATEWAY-COMPLEX	*	Custom rules
GATEWAY-EVENT	Pentagon	The path of the event that happens first

A gateway carries at most three different link labels. A label used again on another branch does not count again. See Gateway nodes.

Links

Keyword	Link	Drawn as	Chapter
NEXT	Sequence flow	Solid line, filled arrowhead	Next
NEXT-MESSAGE	Message flow	Dashed line, open circle at the source, open arrowhead at the target	Next-message
NEXT-ASSOCIATION	Association	Dotted line, no arrowhead	Next-association
AND	Another target for the link keyword before it	The kind of that keyword	And

ACTIVITY 'Task' NEXT 'Other task'                 # to a description
ACTIVITY 'Task' NEXT OtherTask                    # to an explicit id
ACTIVITY 'Task' NEXT 'Other task' 'Label'         # with a link label
ACTIVITY 'Task' NEXT 'A' AND 'B' 'Label on B'     # two targets
ACTIVITY 'Task' NEXT                              # to the next node in the text

Combining links

A node carries one NEXT, one NEXT-MESSAGE and one NEXT-ASSOCIATION at most, in any order. Each has its own AND chain.

GATEWAY 'Approved?' NEXT 'Ship order' 'Yes' AND 'Archive' NEXT-MESSAGE 'Notify customer' 'No' NEXT-ASSOCIATION 'Approval policy'

Ship order and Archive are sequence flows, Notify customer is a message flow and Approval policy is an association. See Combining links.

Link rules

• A label follows its target: NEXT 'Target' 'Label'. NEXT 'Label' alone makes Label the target.
• A link keyword without a target connects to the next node in the text. START, LANE, POOL, DATA, DATABASE and TEXT lines are skipped.
• Every link of a TEXT line is an association, written with NEXT or NEXT-ASSOCIATION. NEXT-MESSAGE on a TEXT line is an error.
• A START line always carries a link. START 'description' alone is an error.
• END and END-TERMINATE carry no links.
• A second NEXT, NEXT-MESSAGE or NEXT-ASSOCIATION on one line is an error.

Lanes and pools

Keyword	Declares	Chapter
LANE Name or LANE 'Name with spaces'	A swimlane. Every following node belongs to it until the next LANE.	Lane
POOL Name or POOL 'Name with spaces'	A participant. Every following lane and node belongs to it until the next POOL.	Pool

POOL Customer
LANE Buyer
ACTIVITY 'Place order' NEXT-MESSAGE Shop 'Order form'
POOL Shop
ACTIVITY 'Process order'

• A lane takes no description and no links.
• A node returns to an earlier lane only when that lane is declared again.
• A process uses pools only when its first line is a POOL. A POOL anywhere else is an error.
• A pool holds either lanes or nodes directly, not both.
• A link can end on a pool by naming it. A link between two pools, or ending on a pool, is written with NEXT-MESSAGE. Written with NEXT it is a warning.
• A pool never links to itself, to a node inside it, or to a DATA, DATABASE or TEXT.
• A DATA, DATABASE or TEXT sits in the same lane as every node it links to.

Identifiers

Kind	Written as	Referenced as
Implicit	ACTIVITY 'Review order'	'Review order'
Explicit	ACTIVITY Review 'Review order'	Review

• Every node and pool has a unique identifier. Implicit and explicit identifiers share one namespace.
• An explicit identifier replaces the implicit one. References use the explicit token.
• Add an explicit identifier only when two nodes share a description, for example two START nodes.
• A reference to an identifier that does not exist is a warning.

See Explicit identifiers.

Reserved words

START, END, END-TERMINATE, ACTIVITY, SUBPROCESS, PROCESS, DATA, DATABASE, TEXT, LANE, POOL, NEXT, NEXT-MESSAGE, NEXT-ASSOCIATION, AND, every EVENT keyword and every GATEWAY keyword. None of them is an identifier.

Common errors

Problem	Cause	Fix
A step that does not exist (warning)	A target matches no description and no explicit id	Write the exact description in quotes, or the explicit id
A word that is not expected	A word where the line does not take one, often a mistyped keyword	Correct the keyword or remove the word
A missing description	A node keyword without a quoted label	Add 'label' after the keyword or the explicit id
A step that is already defined	Two nodes resolve to the same identifier	Give one of them an explicit id
A start without a link	START carries no NEXT	Add NEXT, with or without a target
An end with a link	END carries NEXT	Remove the link
An attachment across lanes	A DATA, DATABASE or TEXT links to a node in another lane	Declare the attachment in that node's lane
A message flow from a text annotation	A TEXT line carries NEXT-MESSAGE	Write the link with NEXT or NEXT-ASSOCIATION
Too many branch labels	A gateway carries four or more different labels	Reuse a label, or split the decision over two gateways
A sequence flow across pools (warning)	NEXT between two pools	Use NEXT-MESSAGE

See Common errors.

Stylesheets

A stylesheet is a .pms file of blocks. Every value is in single quotes and every property ends with ;.

activity {
    fill: '#ffffff';
    stroke: '#d5dae2';
}

#urgent-review {
    shape: 'diamond';
}

Selectors	document, edge, message-flow, association, activity, gateway, event, data, start, end, attachment, annotation, subprocess, swimlane, pool, subprocess-group, #id
Colour and line	background, fill, stroke, strokewidth, text-color
Typography	font-family, font-size, font-weight, font-style, line-height
Spacing	node-padding, node-gap, swimlane-inset, pool-gap, group-inset
Direction	flow-direction: left-to-right, top-to-bottom
Shape	shape: rectangle, circle, diamond, document, cylinder

An #id block wins over an element block. See Stylesheets.

A complete process

LANE Customer
START 'Order placed' NEXT
ACTIVITY 'Pay order' NEXT
LANE Shop
DATABASE 'Stock' NEXT 'Check stock'
ACTIVITY 'Check stock' NEXT
GATEWAY-EXCLUSIVE 'In stock?' NEXT 'Ship order' 'Yes' AND 'Refund order' 'No'
ACTIVITY 'Ship order' NEXT
END 'Order delivered'
ACTIVITY 'Refund order' NEXT
END 'Order refunded'