Flow Final Node   A flow final is a type of final node that consumes the incoming token. When a token arrives at a flow final the token is consumed. No other part of the enclosing activity is affected. Since there are no outgoing flows from a flow final node the effect is simply to remove tokens from the activity.

Explanation

A flow final node is used to absorb tokens arriving at the final node from one or more incoming flows. The rest of the enclosing activity is not affected in any way. This allows a modeler to stop the effect of any arriving tokens from incoming flows into the flow final node without altering other parts of the enclosing activity. It behaves a little like a drain in a plumbing system.

Important Points

		A flow final node cannot have outgoing flows (edges).		Since a flow final node consumes a token arriving on any incoming flow, it may not have any outgoing edges, regardless of whether they are control flows or object flows.
		An enclosing activity can have any number of flow final nodes.		The activity that encloses the flow final node may have any number of activity final nodes representing different ways or places in the activity that tokens can be consumed. Tokens arriving at any flow final node have no affect on any part of the activity including tokens arriving at other flow final nodes in other parts of the activity.
		A flow final node can have any number of incoming flows.		It is possible for a flow final node to have one or more incoming flows (edges). This provides a mechanism that allows the modeler to consume tokens from different parts of the activity.
		All flows regardless of whether they are incoming or outgoing must be either all control flows or all object flows.		A flow final node is a type of control node and therefore can only manage a single type of flow. So all incoming and outgoing flows must all be of a single type: either control flows carrying control tokens, or object flows carrying data or object tokens, but not a mixture of both types of flows.

Related Entries

Activity Final Node  Graphically Similar,  Confused with A activity final is related to an flow final as they are both final nodes used in activity and interaction overview diagrams. When an activity final receives a token all flows in the enclosing activity are stopped and the activity is terminated. A flow final acts like a drain destroying all incoming tokens but it has no affect on the enclosing activity.

Initial Node  Paired Element,  Graphically Similar An initial node is related to an flow final as they are paired elements an initial node is the point at which token flow originates and the flow final is one of two types of final nodes where tokens are destroyed.