Rational Developer for System z

Updating an interface message with a variable from Extract or Insert

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:
  1. Create the Extract action and the Extract variable.
  2. Create a message element of the same type in the output message of the flow.
  3. 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:
  1. Create the Insert action and the Insert variable.
  2. Create a message element of the same type in the input message of the flow.
  3. 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.


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