---
id: overview-first-flow
title: "Your first flow"
summary: "Build, run and watch a first flow in ten minutes - a Timer that starts a C# script every five seconds - and see its messages, statistics and data in the designer."
audience: user
keywords: "first flow, tutorial, walkthrough, getting started, timer, c# script, run, trace console, data monitor"
---
# Your first flow

In ten minutes you build a flow that checks for new orders every five seconds. You place two components, write a few
lines of C#, run the flow and watch it work. You need a designer that is connected to an environment.

## 1. Create the flow

Open the **Flow explorer** from the left rail and go to the folder for your flow. Click **New logical flow** in the
toolbar. The flow opens in a new tab.

![The Flow explorer](/documentation/img/flow-explorer.png)

Click an empty part of the canvas and change **Name** in the flow properties to `Order intake`.

## 2. Add a Timer

Type `timer` in the search box at the bottom of the toolbox and drag **Timer** onto the canvas.

Select the Timer. Its properties show **Interval**: click the edit button next to it, set **Seconds** to `5` and the
other fields to `0`, and **Save**. Tick **Execute on start** so the first run happens as soon as the flow starts.

![The Timer and its properties](/documentation/img/first-flow-timer.png)

## 3. Add a C# script

Press on the Timer's output pin and drag to an empty spot below it. The **Plugins** menu opens: type `C# script` and
pick it. The script is placed there and connected to the Timer.

Select the script and click the pencil next to **Script** to open the editor. Replace the template with:

```csharp
// Runs every time the timer fires.
private int _count;

public override void Execute(IMetaData metaDataInstance, IViaType inputDataInstance)
{
    var metaData = (viauser.FlowMetaData)metaDataInstance;
    var count = Interlocked.Increment(ref _count);
    Services.Messaging.Information($"Checking for new orders, run {count}");
    Services.Messaging.UpdateStatusMessage($"{count} runs");
    Next(metaData, inputDataInstance);
}
```

![The C# script editor](/documentation/img/first-flow-script.png)

Click **Save & close**, then press **Ctrl+S** to save the flow.

## 4. Run it

Press **F5**, or click **Start** in the toolbar. The flow compiles and starts, and the status changes to
**Running**. Every five seconds:

- the **trace console** at the bottom shows `Checking for new orders, run 1`, `run 2`, ...,
- the C# script shows `3 runs`, `4 runs`, ... on the canvas,
- both components count their calls.

![The running flow](/documentation/img/first-flow-running.png)

## 5. Look inside

Click the chart icon at the left of the messages pane to switch to the **Runtime stats**: calls, records and timing
for each component.

![Runtime stats](/documentation/img/runtime-stats.png)

Click the monitor icon on the connection between the Timer and the script. The **data monitor** shows the records
that passed the connection, with their metadata.

![The data monitor](/documentation/img/data-monitor.png)

The **Environment explorer** in the left rail lists the flow with its host, state and up time.

## 6. Stop it

Press **Shift+F5**, or click **Stop** in the toolbar.

## Next steps

- Receive orders from a web shop and post them to an ERP: [Receive a webhook](./webhook-flow).
- Replace the Timer with an **Http listener** to start the flow from a web request, or a database plugin to read
  records. Browse [all plugins](/documentation/plugins/).
- Give the connections [types](/documentation/types/) so the script works with real records.
- Learn the designer in [Build a flow](/documentation/designer/build) and [Run and debug](/documentation/designer/run).
- Write more in C#, Python or JavaScript: [Scripting](/documentation/scripting/).