flowbetween

Flowbetween is a term used across multiple disciplines to denote the interface or connection between two flows within a system. It is not a standardized technical term with a single universal definition, but it tends to describe how control, data, energy, or materials move from one component, state, or phase to another.

In process engineering and operations management, flowbetween refers to the junction where flow transitions occur, including handoffs, synchronization points, or transfer buffers. Effective flowbetween design aims to reduce bottlenecks, maintain continuity, and align timing between adjacent stages.

In software architecture and data engineering, flowbetween describes the interface between two parts of a pipeline or two subsystems, such as the boundary between a data producer and a consumer, or between microservices. It encompasses the contracts, protocols, and data formats used at the boundary, as well as error handling and backpressure strategies.

In user experience design, a flow between screens, views, or tasks is a navigational flow. Designers analyze flowbetween to minimize cognitive load, optimize step counts, and provide consistent affordances during transitions.

In graph theory and network modeling, flowbetween can be considered as the link that allows flow to pass from one node or region to another, subject to capacity constraints and routing rules, though the term is more often described in terms of edges or interfaces.

Terminology and emphasis vary by field, but the common core is the connectivity and coordination at the boundary between two flows. The term is often used descriptively rather than as a formal concept.