This topic describes the option that causes the the
host editor during flow recording to automatically add to a flow's input
message or output message a message element corresponding to the variable
that you select for a newly created Extract action or Insert action.
Enabling this option has the following two effects:
- When you create or select a variable (for example, accountBalance) for
an Extract action during flow recording, the the host editor automatically
creates a message element of the same name and type in the output message
of the flow.
- Similarly, when you create or select a variable (for example, customerID)
for an Insert action during flow recording, the the host
editor automatically creates a message element of the same name and
type in the input message of the flow.
See How messages are used in flows.
The
following table shows the situations in which you can set this option:
Table 1. Updating an interface message| Wizard: |
How to set the option: |
Scope of the option: |
| Building a flow with the New Flow wizard |
On the Associate operation page
of the wizard, select the check box Update interface operation
messages while building flow (see Update
interface operation messages while building flow). |
While you are building a flow on the Building
terminal flow page of the wizard |
| Recording a flow with the Record New Flow wizard |
On the Associate operation page
of the wizard, select the check box Associate interface operation
with the flow (see Update
interface operation messages while building flow (New Flow Recording wizard)). |
While the new flow is loaded in the host editor |
| Creating a service flow project with the New Service
Flow Project wizard |
In this situation there is no check box for the option:- The option is effective only if, on the Define service steps page
of the wizard, you select the radio button Recording interactions
with a terminal application (see Recording interactions with a terminal application).
- Then:
- If you created a new external interface on the Associate service
interface page of the wizard, then the option is automatically
set on (see 2. Associating a service interface).
- If you imported an external interface from a WSDL document on the Associate
service interface page of the wizard, then the option is automatically
set off (see 2. Associating a service interface).
|
While the new flow is loaded in the host editor |
A more detailed explanation
Whenever you create
a new Extract action or a new Insert action during flow recording, the the host editor prompts you to create or select a variable
to be used with the action. With the Extract action, the purpose of the variable
is to store the text that is read from the specified field when the flow is
performed (see Extract action). With the
Insert action, the purpose of the variable is to provide the text that is
to be written into the specified field when the flow is performed (see Insert action).
A variable for an Extract
action or an Insert action is stored in the variable message and the variable
message file of the flow (see The variable message of a flow).
Frequently,
however, you want the value that is held in a variable associated with an
Extract action or an Insert action to exist beyond the confines of the flow.
More specifically:
- With an Extract action, you want the value read by the Extract action
to be returned by the flow to the program that invoked it.
- With an Insert action, you want the program that invokes the flow to pass
in the value to the flow so that an Insert action can write it into a specific
field of an application screen.
To implement this in the case of an Extract action, you
have to perform the following steps:
- Create the Extract action and the Extract variable.
- Create a message element of the same type in the output message of the
flow.
- Create an Assign node and map the value from the Extract variable to the
message element in the output message.
Similarly, to implement this in the case of an Insert action,
you have to perform the following steps:
- Create the Insert action and the Insert variable.
- Create a message element of the same type in the input message of the
flow.
- Create an Assign node and map the value from the message element in the
input message to the Insert variable.
Setting the option described in this topic -- the option
to have the message element in the input message or output message created
automatically -- allows you to skip step 2 in both of the 3-step procedures
described above. More specifically, when you perform step 1 in either procedure,
the host editor automatically performs step 2, using
as the name and type for the new message element in the input message or output
message the same name and type as the message element that you specified for
the Extract or Insert variable.
Notice, however, that you must still
do step 3 manually -- mapping the Extract variable to the output message element,
or mapping the input message element to the Insert variable.