| Type of message file: | Message file: | Message: | Message elements: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input | i_CheckItemAvailability.sfmxsd | i_CheckItemAvailability | (None) |
| Output | o_CheckItemAvailability.sfmxsd | o_CheckItemAvailability | A message element for each Extract action in the recorded flow. These variables were created automatically and have the same names as the variables that you created in the variable message: INQ1-ITEMREF, INQ2-ITEMREF, and so on. |
| Variable | v_CheckItemAvailability.sfmxsd | v_CheckItemAvailability | A message element for each Extract action in the recorded flow. You created and selected these variables in C. Record the flow information: INQ1-ITEMREF, INQ2-ITEMREF, and so on up to INQ15-ITEMREF. |
| Message: | Message element to be added: | Data type of the message element: |
|---|---|---|
| i_CheckItemAvailability | itemNumber | xsd:string |
| o_CheckItemAvailability | available | xsd:string |
| v_CheckItemAvailability | available1 | xsd:string |
| 1For more information about this variable see Use of v_CheckItemAvailability.available in the flow CheckItemAvailability.seqflow | ||
In this subtopic you will add the message element itemNumber to the input message. This message element is an input parameter that specifies an item number to be searched for in the list of items in the catalog of the CICS example catalog application.
To add the message element:
Add the message element:
| Action: | Item: | User interface: |
|---|---|---|
| a) Click | Basic tab | Flow message editor |
| b) Right-click | Flow message editor, Basic tab, left pane | |
| c) Click | Add Element | |
| d) Click | localElement1 | |
| e) Type | itemNumber | Flow message editor, Basic tab, right pane, Name field |
| f) Click | Advanced tab | Flow message editor |
| g) Click | Flow message editor, Advanced tab | |
| h) Click | The cell in the Type column to the right of itemNumber | |
| i) Scroll the list and select (New Simple Type Restriction) | The drop-down list that opens when you clicked the empty cell in the preceding step. | |
| j) Scroll the list and select xsd:string | The Base Type drop-down list | The New Simple Type Restriction window |
| k) Click | OK | |
| l) Click | 1 | Flow message editor, Advanced tab |
| m) Click | Properties tab | Flow message editor |
| n) Click | Flow message editor, Properties tab, left pane | |
| o) Leave blank | Length field | Flow message editor, Properties tab, the Length Constraints group |
| p) Leave blank | Min field | |
| o) Type 42 | Max field | |
| q) Click | Basic tab | Flow message editor |
1Notice that here the itemNumber variable
is defined as type xsd:string rather than as type xsd:integer. The
reason is so that in a comparison such as the following both operands
have the same type (xsd:string):(i_CheckItemAvailability.itemNumber = v_CheckItemAvailability."INQ1-ITEMREF") 2Here the maximum length (the Max constraint) is set to 4 characters because the maximum item number is 9999. |
||
Close the flow message editor.
In this subtopic you will delete the Extract variables (message elements) from the output message. These Extract variables were added automatically to the output message as a convenience when you created the Extract actions. You are now going to delete these Extract variables because in this tutorial the flow CheckItemAvailability.seqflow does not need to return the Extract values to the calling program (see Table 1).
You will also add an available message element to the output message. This message element is an output parameter that returns to the calling program a copy of the value in the available message element in the variable message (either the string YES or an empty string).
To delete the Extract variables (message elements):
Repeat the actions in Step 3 above to delete the remaining Extract variables INQ2-ITEMREF through INQ15-ITEMREF.
Press Ctrl-S to save your work. Leave the flow editor open for now so that you can add the available message element.
To add the available message element:
Add the message element:
| Action: | Item: | User interface: |
|---|---|---|
| a) Click | Basic tab | Flow message editor |
| b) Right-click | Flow message editor, Basic tab, left pane | |
| c) Click | Add Element | |
| d) Click | localElement1 | |
| e) Type | available | Flow message editor, Basic tab, right pane, Name field |
| f) Click | Advanced tab | Flow message editor |
| g) Click | Flow message editor, Advanced tab | |
| h) Click | The cell in the Type column to the right of available | |
| i) Scroll the list and select (New Simple Type Restriction) | The drop-down list that opens when you clicked the empty cell in the preceding step. | |
| j) Scroll the list and select xsd:string | The Base Type drop-down list | The New Simple Type Restriction window |
| k) Click | OK | |
| l) Click | Flow message editor, Advanced tab | |
| m) Click | Properties tab | Flow message editor |
| n) Click | Flow message editor, Properties tab, left pane | |
| o) Leave blank | Length field | Flow message editor, Properties tab, the Length Constraints group |
| p) Leave blank | Min field | |
| o) Type 31 | Max field | |
| q) Click | Basic tab | Flow message editor |
1Here the maximum length (the Max constraint) is set to 3 characters because the value will be either the string YES or an empty string. |
||
Close the flow message editor.
In this subtopic you will add the available variable (message element) to the variable message. This message element indicates whether the input item number is found in the list of items in the catalog of the CICS example catalog application. If the item number is found then available is set to the string YES. Otherwise available is set to an empty string (see Use of v_CheckItemAvailability.available in the flow CheckItemAvailability.seqflow).
To add the message element:
Add the message element:
| Action: | Item: | User interface: |
|---|---|---|
| a) Click | Basic tab | Flow message editor |
| b) Right-click | Flow message editor, Basic tab, left pane | |
| c) Click | Add Element | |
| d) Click | localElement1 | |
| e) Type | available | Flow message editor, Basic tab, right pane, Name field |
| f) Click | Advanced tab | Flow message editor |
| g) Click | Flow message editor, Advanced tab | |
| h) Click | The cell in the Type column to the right of available | |
| i) Scroll the list and select (New Simple Type Restriction) | The drop-down list that opens when you clicked the empty cell in the preceding step. | |
| j) Scroll the list and select xsd:string | The Base Type drop-down list | The New Simple Type Restriction window |
| k) Click | OK | |
| l) Click | Flow message editor, Advanced tab | |
| m) Click | Properties tab | Flow message editor |
| n) Click | Flow message editor, Properties tab, left pane | |
| o) Leave blank | Length field | Flow message editor, Properties tab, the Length Constraints group |
| p) Leave blank | Min field | |
| o) Type 31 | Max field | |
| q) Click | Basic tab | Flow message editor |
1Here the maximum length (the Max constraint) is set to 3 characters because the value will be either the string YES or an empty string. |
||
Close the flow message editor.