Process Shape

The Process shape is the workhorse of flowcharts. Represented as a simple rectangle, it indicates any processing step, action, or operation in your workflow.

What is a Process Shape?

The Process shape (also called a Process Box or Action Box) represents:

• A single step in a procedure
• An action or operation to be performed
• A calculation or transformation
• Any general processing activity

According to ISO 5807, this is the most commonly used flowchart symbol for representing standard processing steps.

When to Use

Use the Process shape for:

• Standard operations: "Calculate total", "Validate input", "Send email"
• Transformations: "Convert to uppercase", "Format date", "Parse JSON"
• Actions: "Save to file", "Update record", "Close connection"
• Calculations: "Sum = A + B", "Calculate discount", "Count items"
• Method calls: "ProcessPayment()", "ValidateUser()", "GenerateReport()"

ISO 5807 Standard

According to ISO 5807, the Process symbol is defined as:

• A rectangle with equal sides
• Used for any processing function
• Can represent one or more operations
• The most versatile flowchart symbol

This is the default shape when the action doesn't fit a more specific category.

Visual Appearance

In DiagramKit.AI, the Process shape appears as:

• Dimensions: 160×80 pixels
• Color: Light blue (#f0f9ff)
• Border: Medium blue (#0369a1)
• Shape: Perfect rectangle with squared corners

Best Practices

✅ Good Usage

[Start]
   ↓
[Read input file]
   ↓
[Parse JSON data]
   ↓
[Calculate totals]
   ↓
[Format output]
   ↓
[End]

• Use clear, action-oriented labels (verb + object)
• Keep labels concise (1-5 words)
• Use consistent verb tense (imperative or present)
• Make each step atomic (one clear action)

❌ Avoid

• ❌ Vague labels: "Do stuff", "Handle it"
• ❌ Questions: "Is valid?" (use Decision instead)
• ❌ Multiple actions in one box: "Read file, parse data, and validate"
• ❌ Input/output operations (use Data I/O instead)

Common Examples

Example 1: Data Processing

[Read customer data]
   ↓
[Filter active customers]
   ↓
[Calculate total purchases]
   ↓
[Sort by amount]
   ↓
[Generate report]

Example 2: User Registration

[Hash password]
   ↓
[Create user record]
   ↓
[Assign user ID]
   ↓
[Set default preferences]
   ↓
[Log registration event]

Example 3: Mathematical Operation

[Initialize sum = 0]
   ↓
[Add current value to sum]
   ↓
[Increment counter]
   ↓
[Calculate average]

Label Writing Guidelines

Strong Labels (Recommended)

• "Calculate total price"
• "Validate email format"
• "Update database record"
• "Send notification email"
• "Transform data to JSON"

Weak Labels (Avoid)

• "Process" (too vague)
• "Do calculation" (what calculation?)
• "Handle data" (handle how?)
• "Next step" (not descriptive)

AI Prompt Tips

Use these prompts to add Process shapes with AI:

add a process step to calculate the total

insert a validation process after the input

create a process that sends email notification

add three process steps: hash password, create user, send welcome email

Programming Equivalents

Process shapes typically represent:

JavaScript/TypeScript:

// Each of these could be a Process shape
const result = calculateTotal(items);
user.validate();
await sendEmail(recipient);
data = transformToJSON(rawData);

Python:

# Process shape examples
result = calculate_total(items)
validate_email(email_address)
save_to_database(record)
formatted_data = format_output(data)

Pseudocode:

Process: Calculate Total
  total = 0
  for each item in cart
    total = total + item.price
  end for

Connections

Process shapes typically connect:

Input from:

• Start/End symbols
• Other Process shapes
• Decision shapes (yes/no branches)
• Data I/O shapes
• Predefined Process shapes

Output to:

• Other Process shapes
• Decision shapes
• Data I/O shapes
• End symbols

Process vs. Other Shapes

| Use Process When | Use Different Shape | |------------------|---------------------| | Standard operation | Predefined Process if calling a subroutine | | Automated action | Manual Operation if done by hand | | General processing | Preparation if setup/initialization | | Data transformation | Data I/O if input/output operation | | Calculation | Decision if yes/no question |

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using for Decisions

❌ Wrong: [Is valid?] (Process shape) ✅ Correct: <Is valid?> (Decision shape)

Mistake 2: Too Many Actions

❌ Wrong: [Read file, validate data, transform to JSON, save to database] ✅ Correct: Split into 4 separate Process shapes

Mistake 3: Input/Output Operations

❌ Wrong: [Read user input] (Process shape) ✅ Correct: [Read user input] (Data I/O shape)

Mistake 4: Vague Labels

❌ Wrong: [Process data] ✅ Correct: [Validate email format]

Advanced Usage

Parallel Processing

[Start]
   ↓
[Split into tasks]
   ↓
┌────┴────┐
[Task A]  [Task B]
└────┬────┘
     ↓
[Merge results]
   ↓
[End]

Error Handling

[Process payment]
   ↓
<Success?>
  ↙  ↘
Yes   No
 ↓     ↓
[Log]  [Rollback]

Related Shapes

• Predefined Process - For subroutines and function calls
• Manual Operation - For human-performed tasks
• Preparation - For setup and initialization
• Decision - For conditional branching
• Data I/O - For input/output operations

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Add from palette: Drag and drop the Process shape
• Double-click: Edit the label text
• Delete: Select and press Delete or Backspace
• Duplicate: Select and Ctrl+D (or Cmd+D on Mac)

Next Steps

• Learn about Decision shapes for branching logic
• Explore Predefined Process for modular workflows
• Understand Data I/O for input/output operations
• Review the complete shape reference for all 19 shapes