webMethods Developer Users Guide 65

webMethods Developer User’s Guide

VERSION 6.5

webMethods, Inc.South Tower3877 Fairfax Ridge RoadFairfax, VA 22030USA703.460.2500http://www.webmethods.com

webMethods Administrator, webMethods Broker, webMethods Dashboard, webMethods Developer, webMethods Fabric, webMethods Glue, webMethods Installer, webMethods Integration Server, webMethods Mainframe, webMethods Manager, webMethods Mobile, webMethods Modeler, webMethods Monitor, webMethods Optimize, webMethods Portal, webMethods Trading Networks, and webMethods Workflow are trademarks of webMethods, Inc. webMethods and the webMethods logo are registered trademarks of webMethods, Inc.

Acrobat, Adobe, and Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Amdocs is a registered trademark, and ClarifyCRM is a trademark of Amdocs Inc. Ariba is a registered trademark of Ariba, Inc. BEA and BEA WebLogic Server are registered trademarks, and BEA WebLogic Platform is a trademark of BEA Systems, Inc. BMC Software and PATROL are registered trademarks of BMC Software, Inc. BroadVision is a registered trademark of BroadVision, Inc. ChemeStandards and CIDX are registered trademarks of Chemical Industry Data Exchange. Unicenter is a trademark of Computer Associates International, Inc. PopChart is a registered trademark of CORDA Technologies, Inc. Kenan and Arbor are registered trademarks of CSG Software, Incorporated. SNAP-IX and Data Connection are registered trademarks of Data Connection Corporation. DataDirect, DataDirect Connect, and SequeLink are registered trademarks of DataDirect Technologies Corp. D & B and D-U-N-S are registered trademarks of Dun & Broadstreet, Inc. Entrust is a registered trademark of Entrust, Inc. Hewlett-Packard, HP, HP-UX, and OpenView are trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company. i2 is a registered trademark of i2 Technologies, Inc. AIX, AS/400, CICS, DB2, Domino, IBM, Infoprint, Lotus, Lotus Notes, MQSeries, OS/390, OS/400, RACF, RS/6000, S/390, System/390, VTAM, z/OS, and WebSphere are registered trademarks; and Informix, SQL/400, Communications System for Windows NT, IMS, MVS, SQL/DS, and Universal Database are trademarks of IBM Corporation. InnoDB is a trademark of Innobase Oy. JBoss is a registered trademark, and JBoss Group is a trademark of JBoss Inc. JD Edwards is a registered trademark of J.D. Edwards & Company and OneWorld is a registered trademark of J.D. Edwards World Source Company. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. X Window System is a trademark of the X.org Foundation. MetaSolv is a registered trademark of Metasolv Software, Inc. ActiveX, Microsoft, Outlook, Visual Basic, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks; and SQL Server is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. MySQL is a registered trademark of MySQL AB, Ltd. Teradata is a registered trademark of NCR International, Inc. Netscape is a registered trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation. ServletExec is a registered trademark, and New Atlanta is a trademark of New Atlanta Communications, LLC. CORBA is a registered trademark of Object Management Group, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of X/Open Company Ltd. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle International Corporation. PeopleSoft and Vantive are registered trademarks, and PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture and WorldSoftware are trademarks of PeopleSoft, Inc. Infranet and Portal are trademarks of Portal Software, Inc. RosettaNet is a trademark of RosettaNet, a non-profit organization. SAP and R/3 are registered trademarks of SAP AG. Siebel is a registered trademark of Siebel Systems, Inc. SPARC is a registered trademark, and SPARCStation is a trademark of SPARC International, Inc. SSA Global and SSA Baan are trademarks of SSA Global Technologies, Inc. EJB, Enterprise JavaBeans, Java, JavaServer, JDBC, JSP, J2EE, Solaris, and Sun Microsystems are registered trademarks; and Java Naming and Directory Interface, SOAP with Attachments API for Java, JavaServer Pages and SunSoft are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. SWIFT and SWIFTNet are registered trademarks of Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication SCRL. Sybase is a registered trademark of Sybase, Inc. UCCnet and eBusinessReady are registered trademarks of Uniform Code Council, Inc. Verisign is a registered trademark of Verisign, Inc. VERITAS is a registered trademark of VERITAS Operating Corporation, and VERITAS Software and VERITAS Cluster Server are trademarks of VERITAS Software Corporation. W3C is a registered trademark of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Copyright © 2005 by webMethods, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

Document ID: DEV-UG-65-20050429

Contents

webMethods Developer User’s Guide Version 6.5 3

Contents

About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Chapter 1. Getting Started with Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19What Is Developer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Before You Use Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Starting Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20What Does the Developer Window Contain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

The Navigation Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Navigation Panel Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Refreshing the Contents of the Navigation Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

The Fabric Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Fabric Tab Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

The Recent Elements Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28The Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29The Properties Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31The Results Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Working in the Developer Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Moving Between Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Performing Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Resizing Areas in the Developer Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Hiding and Showing Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Dragging Movable Borders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Switching Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Opening, Closing, and Restoring Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Restoring a Session on a Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Notification of Server Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Changing Your Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Password Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Using Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Chapter 2. Managing Elements in the Navigation Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43What Is an Element? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Creating New Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

About Element Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Package Names and Element Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

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4 webMethods Developer User’s Guide Version 6.5

Guidelines for Naming Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Editing Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Specifying Dependency Checking Safeguards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Notes About Performing Actions on Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Opening and Closing Elements in the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Moving and Copying Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Moving and Copying Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Copying Elements Between Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Moving and Copying Adapter Notifications and Related Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Renaming Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Saving Changes to Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Deleting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Finding Elements and Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Finding Elements in the Navigation Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Finding Fields in Editor Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Locating Invoked Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Finding Dependents and References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Finding Dependents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Finding References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Inspecting Pipeline References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Caching Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Clearing the Developer Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Chapter 3. Working with Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73What Is a Package? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Package Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Creating a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Guidelines for Naming Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Viewing Details for a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Copying a Package to Another Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Documenting a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Reloading a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Deleting a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Exporting a Package or Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Assigning a Version Number to a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Viewing the Patch History for a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Identifying Package Dependencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Removing Package Dependencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Contents


Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Replication Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87What Is a Startup Service? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87What Is a Shutdown Service? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87What Is a Replication Service? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Guidelines for Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Replication Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Replication Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Removing Startup, Shutdown, and Replication Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Chapter 4. Locking and Unlocking Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

What Is a Lock? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92How Do I Know Who Has an Element Locked? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92When Do I Lock an Element? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93When Do I Unlock an Element? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Locking Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Locking Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Locking Java and C/C++ Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Locking Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95System Locking Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Viewing the Status of Locked Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Copying, Moving, or Deleting Locked Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Unlocking Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Unlocking Elements Using Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Unlocking an Element Using the Integration Server Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Unlocking a System Locked Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Viewing an Element’s Corresponding Server Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Automatically Unlocking Elements After Saving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Lock/Unlock Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Package Management Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Save Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Other Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Chapter 5. Assigning and Managing Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

What Is an ACL? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108What Happens When a Client Runs a Service with ACLs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Am I Required to Use ACLs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110How Do I Create an ACL? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

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Assigning ACLs to Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111The Permissions Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112ACLs and Inheritance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Default ACLs and Inheritance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Viewing ACL Information on a Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114How ACLs Affect Other Developer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

ACLs and Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115ACLs and Testing/Debugging Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116ACLs and Creating, Viewing, and Deleting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Chapter 6. Building Flow Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

What Is a Flow Service? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120What Is a Flow Step? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121What Is the Pipeline? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122What Are Input and Output Parameters? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

A Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Creating a New Flow Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Package and Folder Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Using the Default Logic Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Inserting Flow Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Declaring Input and Output Parameters for a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126Supported Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Specifying Input Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Specifying Output Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Completing the Input/Output Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Assigning an Output Template to a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Specifying Run-Time Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Maintaining the State of a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Configuring a Service’s Use of Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Types of Services to Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136Services Suited for Caching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136Services That You Should Not Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Controlling a Service’s Use of Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Specifying the Duration of a Cached Result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Using the Prefetch Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Specifying the Execution Locale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Configuring Service Retry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

About the Maximum Retry Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Setting Service Retry Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Contents


Assigning Universal Names to Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Configuring Service Auditing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Enabling Auditing for a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147Specifying When Audit Data Is Generated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147Including the Pipeline in the Audit Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

When Is a Copy of the Input Pipeline Saved in the Audit Log? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149Service Auditing Use Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Error Auditing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151Service Auditing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152Auditing for Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Auditing Long-Running Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Setting Auditing Options for a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Audit Level Settings in Earlier Versions of Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Printing a Flow Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Chapter 7. Inserting Flow Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157What is a Flow Step? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Inserting and Moving Flow Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Changing the Position of a Flow Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160Changing the Level of a Flow Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160Setting the Properties of a Flow Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

The INVOKE Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163Specifying the Service Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163Invoking a Built-In Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Invoking a Service on Another webMethods Integration Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Building an INVOKE Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

The BRANCH Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166Branching on a Switch Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Specifying the Switch Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Specifying the Label Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Branching on an Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Branching on Null and Empty Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170Specifying a Default Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Using SEQUENCE as the Target of a BRANCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173Building a BRANCH Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

The REPEAT Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Specifying the REPEAT Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178Setting the REPEAT Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178When Does REPEAT Fail? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178Using REPEAT to Retry a Failed Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179Using REPEAT to Retry a Successful Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

C o n t e n t s


The SEQUENCE Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Using SEQUENCE to Specify an Exit Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

The LOOP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Specifying the Input Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185Collecting Output from a LOOP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186Building a LOOP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

The EXIT Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188The MAP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Chapter 8. Mapping Data in a Flow Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193What is Data Mapping? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194What Does the Pipeline Tab Contain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Pipeline Tab for an INVOKE Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Pipeline Tab for a MAP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197Pipeline Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198Printing the Pipeline Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Basic Mapping Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Linking Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

What Happens When webMethods Integration Server Executes a Link Between Variables at Run Time? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Linking to Document and Document List Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Linking Variables of Different Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Examples of Structural Transformations on the Pipeline Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208Converting a String List to a Document List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Linking to and from Array Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209Guidelines for Linking to and from Array Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Deleting Links Between Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212Applying Conditions to Links Between Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Linking Multiple Source Variables to a Target Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213Assigning Values to Pipeline Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

Assigning a Default Value to a Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215Initializing Variables in a Flow Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Referencing Other Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Setting a Value for a Pipeline Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Copying Set Values Between Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Dropping Variables from the Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218Adding Variables with the Pipeline Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Working with Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220What Are Transformers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Using Built-in Services as Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221Inserting a Transformer into a MAP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Contents


Linking Variables to a Transformer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223Transformer Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225Transformers and Array Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

What Is Dimensionality? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Validating Input and Output for Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227Copying Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228Expanding Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229Renaming Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230Debugging Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Chapter 9. Creating IS Schemas, IS Document Types, and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . 233Creating an IS Schema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

What Does an IS Schema Look Like? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234Schema Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235Schema Details Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238Creating an IS Schema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Creating IS Schemas from XML Schemas that Reference Other Schemas . . . . . . . . . . . . 241Editing a Simple Type in an IS Schema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242Setting Constraining Facet Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Creating an IS Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244Creating an Empty IS Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245Creating an IS Document Type from an XML Document, DTD, or XML Schema . . . . . . . . . . . . 246Creating an IS Document Type from a Broker Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

The Envelope Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251Adapter Notifications and Publishable Document Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

Editing an IS Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252Modifying Publishable Document Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Printing an IS Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253Using an IS Document Type to Specify Service Input or Output Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253Using an IS Document Type to Build a Document Reference or Document Reference List Field 254Specifying Field Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

Creating a Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Chapter 10. Performing Data Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259What Is Data Validation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

What Is Data Validated Against? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260Applying Constraints to Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Considerations for Object Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263Customizing a String Content Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264

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Viewing the Constraints Applied to Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265Performing Input/Output Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Specifying Input/Output Validation via the Input/Output Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267Specifying Input/Output Validation via the INVOKE Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

Performing Document Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269Performing Pipeline Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270Performing XML Validation in webMethods Integration Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271Performing Validation from within a Java Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271Validation Errors and Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

Validation Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273Running Out of Memory During Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274

Chapter 11. Testing and Debugging Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275Testing and Debugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276Testing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276Testing Services from Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Entering Input for a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278Saving Input Values to a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280Loading Input Values from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

Viewing the Results of the Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281Copying Variables from the Results Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

Run-Time Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284The Call Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285The Pipeline Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Testing Services from a Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286Testing Services that Expect XML Documents as Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287Working in Debug Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Entering Debug Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288Combining the Step and Trace Commands in Debug Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289Resetting Debug Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290Using the Trace Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Tracing into a Child Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292Using the Step Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

Stepping though a Child Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294Using the Step Tools with a MAP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

Setting Breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295What Happens When a Breakpoint is Encountered? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

Setting Breakpoints on Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297Viewing a List of Breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298

Contents


Disabling Flow Steps, Transformers, and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298Disabling Flow Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298Disabling Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Disabling a Condition Placed on a Link Between Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301

Modifying the Current Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302Saving and Restoring the Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

Saving the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303Saving the Contents of the Results Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304Saving the Pipeline at Run Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305

Restoring the Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306Loading a Saved Pipeline into the Results Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306Loading a Saved Pipeline at Run Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

Other Debugging Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308Using the Server’s Debug Facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308The Contents of the Server Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309

Server Debug Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309Writing Information to the Server Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310

Writing an Arbitrary Message to the Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310Dumping the Pipeline to the Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Chapter 12. Building Coded Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

The IData Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316Services Take IData Objects as Input and Return IData as Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316Getting and Setting Elements in an IData Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317Creating IData Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Building Services Using Java . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318How Java Services Are Organized on the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318Building Java Services with Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

Using the Developer IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320The Java Service Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320The Shared Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

Creating a Java Service with Developer’s IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323Generating Java Code from Service Input and Output Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325

Setting Run-Time Options for a Java Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326Building Java Services with Your Own IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

The Namespace Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327The Source Code Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328Writing the Source Code for a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Using the webMethods API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328The Basic Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329

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Commenting Code for the webMethods Integration Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329Using the jcode Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

Make Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330Fragment Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331Composite Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331Other jcode Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

Building Services Using C/C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332Generating Files for a C/C++ Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333The Java Code for a C Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334Building the C/C++ Source Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

Building Services Using COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Invoking Methods from Existing COM and DCOM Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337Creating the Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337Invoking the Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

Writing and Invoking a Visual Basic Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338Compiling a Visual Basic Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339Invoking a Visual Basic Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339

Invoking a VB Service Using Late Binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339Invoking a VB Service Using Early Binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

Chapter 13. Creating Client Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346Building a Java Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346Third-Party Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348

Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349Files That Are Generated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

Building a C/C++ Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351Files That Are Generated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351

Building a Visual Basic Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352Environment Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353

Contents


Files That Are Generated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353General Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353Files for the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354Files Containing the Code that Invokes the Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354File Containing the Code that Interacts with webMethods Integration Server . . . . . . . . . . . 354

Building an Excel Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Files That Are Generated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356

Building a Browser-Based Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357Invoking Services with a URL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357

Using the HTTP GET Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358Using the HTTP POST Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

Input to the Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359Output from the Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360

Chapter 14. Subscribing to Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361The Event Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362

What Are Event Handlers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363What Happens When an Event Occurs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363

Managing Event Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364Subscribing to an Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364Creating Event Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366

Creating Event Filters for Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368Viewing and Editing Event Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369Suspending Event Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369Deleting an Event Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

Building an Event Handler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370Sample Event Handler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371

Working with Alarm Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372Building Handlers for Alarm Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373

Working with Audit Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374Building Handlers for Audit Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374

Working with Exception Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376Building Handlers for Exception Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376

Working with Guaranteed Delivery Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377Guaranteed Delivery Events and Transaction Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378Building Handlers for Guaranteed Delivery Start Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379

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Building Handlers for Guaranteed Delivery End Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380Working with Port Status Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380

Building Handlers for Port Status Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381Working with Replication Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381

Building Handlers for Replication Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382Working with Session Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

Building Handlers for Session Start Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383Building Handlers for Session End Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383Building Handlers for Session Expire Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

Working with Stat Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384Building Handlers for Stat Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

Working with Transaction Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386Building Handlers for Transaction Start Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387Building Handlers for Transaction End Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387

Chapter 15. Building Services that Retry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390Requirements for Retrying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390

Adapter Services and Retry Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390Building a Service that Throws an Exception for Retry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391

How to Build a Service that Throws an Exception for Retry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391Example—Building a Service that Throws an Exception for Retry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394

Appendix A. webMethods Flow Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397BRANCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398

Branching on a Switch Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398Branching on Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400Conditions That Will Cause a BRANCH Step to Fail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400

EXIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401Examples of When to Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402

INVOKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402Conditions That Will Cause an INVOKE Step to Fail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

LOOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404Conditions That Will Cause a LOOP Step to Fail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405Example of When to Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406

Contents


REPEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

When Does REPEAT Fail? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408Examples of When to Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408

SEQUENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409Conditions That Will Cause the SEQUENCE Step to Fail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410

Appendix B. Regular Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411What Is a Regular Expression? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412Using a Regular Expression in a Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412Regular Expression Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413

Appendix C. Supported Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

Java Classes for Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421How webMethods Developer Supports Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

Default Pipeline Rules for Linking to and from Array Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424

Appendix D. Conditional Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429

Comparing Java Objects to Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431Checking for Variable Existence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432

Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432Relational Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432

Standard Relational Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433Lexical Relational Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

Logical Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437Precedence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438Addressing Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

Addressing Variables that Contain Special Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440Typing Special Characters in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

Rules for Use of Expression Syntax with the Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442

Appendix E. jcode tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445jcode Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446jcode Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

Sample Code—IData . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

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Appendix F. Validation Content Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452Content Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452Constraining Facets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462

Appendix G. Validation Errors and Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466Validation Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466Validation Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480IS Schema Generation Errors and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484

Appendix H. Using Source Control with the Integration Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490

What Is a Third-Party Source Control Application? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490Is Source Control the Same as Locking? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490

Methods of Using Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490Components of a webMethods Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491

Package Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491Location of a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492Contents of a Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492

Global Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497Adding Components to Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498

Choosing a Development Methodology for Java Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498Checking Components In to Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499

Checking In the ns Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499Checking Components Out of Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500Updating Files That Are in Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503

About This Guide


About This Guide

This guide describes how to create services using webMethods Developer. It contains information for developers who want to build services using the webMethods flow language or a programming language such as Java, C/C++, or Visual Basic.

To use this guide effectively, you should know how to program in Java, C/C++, and/or Visual Basic if you will be creating services in those languages.

Document Convent ions

Convention Description

Bold Identifies elements on a screen.

Italic Identifies variable information that you must supply or change based on your specific situation or environment. Identifies terms the first time they are defined in text. Also identifies service input and output variables.

Narrow font Identifies storage locations for services on the webMethods Integration Server using the convention folder.subfolder:service.

Typewriter font

Identifies characters and values that you must type exactly or messages that the system displays on the console.

UPPERCASE Identifies keyboard keys. Keys that you must press simultaneously are joined with the “+” symbol.

\ Directory paths use the “\” directory delimiter unless the subject is UNIX-specific.

[ ] Optional keywords or values are enclosed in [ ]. Do not type the [ ] symbols in your own code.

A b o u t T h i s G u i d e


Addit ional Informat ionThe webMethods Advantage Web site at http://advantage.webmethods.com provides you with important sources of information about webMethods components:

Troubleshooting Information. webMethods provides troubleshooting information for many webMethods components in the webMethods Knowledge Base.

Documentation Feedback. To provide documentation feedback to webMethods, go to the Documentation Feedback Form on the webMethods Bookshelf.

Additional Documentation. All webMethods documentation is available on the webMethods Bookshelf.

http://advantage.webmethods.com

http://advantage.webmethods.com/troubleshooting

http://advantage.webmethods.com/docfeedback

http://advantage.webmethods.com/Bookshelf

http://advantage.webmethods.com/Bookshelf


C H A P T E R 1Gett ing Started with Developer

What Is Developer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Before You Use Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Starting Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

What Does the Developer Window Contain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Working in the Developer Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Opening, Closing, and Restoring Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Changing Your Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Using Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

C H A P T E R 1 G e t t i n g S t a r t e d w i t h D e v e l o p e r


What Is Developer?webMethods Developer is a graphical development tool that you use to build, edit, and test integration logic. It provides an integrated development environment in which to develop the logic and supporting objects that carry out the work of an integration solution. It also provides tools for testing and debugging the solutions you create.

Developer lets you rapidly construct integration logic with an easy-to-use implementation language called the webMethods flow language. Flow language provides a set of simple but powerful constructs that you use to specify a sequence of actions (steps) that the Integration Server will execute at run time. Developer also has extensive data transformation and mapping capabilities that allow you to quickly drag-and-drop data fields from one step to the next.

Besides providing tools for constructing flow services, Developer provides additional editors and tools for creating various objects that support the execution of an integration solution. For example, you use Developer to create the document types and schemas used for data validation and to define triggers that launch the execution of services when certain documents are published.

Before You Use DeveloperDeveloper builds and edits services directly on a server. To use Developer you must:

Have access to a webMethods Integration Server on which you can build and test services.

Have a user account on that webMethods Integration Server.

Belong to a group that is a member of the “Developers” ACL (access control list) on that webMethods Integration Server.

If you do not have access to a webMethods Integration Server or you do not have an appropriate user account or access rights, see your server administrator.

Start ing DeveloperUse the following procedure to start Developer on your workstation. Before you start Developer keep the following in mind:

Make sure that the Integration Server with which you want to use Developer is running. You cannot work with Developer if the server is not running.

If you are starting Developer for the first time on a UNIX system, verify that the DEVELOPER_DIR and JAVA_DIR settings in developer.sh specify the paths where Developer (DEVELOPER_DIR) and Java Runtime Environment (JAVA_DIR) reside. If these settings are not correct, update them before starting Developer.

Starting Developer


1 Depending on which operating system is running on your workstation, do the following:

2 In the Open Session dialog box, complete the following:

Important! You can only connect webMethods Developer version 6.5 to a webMethods Integration Server version 6.1 or version 6.5.

To start Developer

If you are running... Do this...

Windows a On the Start menu, click Programs, and then click webMethods.

b Click webMethods Developer.

UNIX a Navigate to the directory where you installed Developer.

b Run bin/developer.sh.

In this field... Specify...

Server type The registered type for the server on which you want to open a session. The default type is Integration Server.

Server The name and port assignment of the webMethods Integration Server in ServerName:PortNum format.

Example rubicon:5555

Specify the name andport assignment of a

server...

...and enter a useraccount that has

developer privileges.



3 Click OK.

Note: Servers to which you have successfully logged on in the past are listed in the Server list. You can select a server from this list or type its name and port number.

Username The name of a valid user account on this server. (The user name must be a member of a group belonging to the Developers ACL.)

Use the exact combination of upper- and lower-case characters with which it was originally defined. IS user names are case sensitive.

Note: The server is installed with a default user account called “Developer” that has developer privileges.

Password The password for the user account in Username. Use the exact combination of upper- and lower-case characters with which it was originally defined. IS passwords are case sensitive.

Note: The default password for the Developer user account is isdev.

Uses secure connection

Whether the session will be opened through HTTP or HTTPS. If you want to open an HTTPS session on the selected server using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL), select this check box. If you want to open an HTTP session on the server, clear this check box.

Uses proxy Whether the session will be opened through the default proxy server. If you want to open a session on the selected server using your proxy server, select this check box.


Tip! When you run Developer from the command line, Developer writes messages to the console. The amount and type of information that is written is determined by the debug level under which Developer is operating. The default debug level is 4. If you want more detail written to the console, set the debug level to 10. You can change the debug level by editing the ini.cnf file located in webMethods6\Developer\config.

What Does the Developer Window Contain?


What Does the Developer Window Contain?The Developer window is divided into the following areas:

Navigation panel. You use the Navigation panel to select, lock, copy, move, delete, or rename elements. For more information about this panel, see “The Navigation Panel” on page 24.

Fabric tab. You use the Fabric tab to connect and disconnect Fabric sessions, and to display, filter, and register Web services. For more information about this panel, see “The Fabric Tab” on page 27.

Recent Elements tab. You use the Recent Elements tab to quickly access elements you have recently viewed. For more information about this panel, see “The Recent Elements Tab” on page 28.

Editor. You use the editor to examine and edit an element you opened from the Navigation panel or Recent Elements tab. For more information about the editor, see “The Editor” on page 29.

Properties panel. You use the Properties panel to view and edit the properties for an item. For more information about this panel, see “The Properties Panel” on page 31.

Results panel. You use the Results panel to view the result of a service’s execution, to view the variables that a service adds to the pipeline, and to view the contents of those variables. For more information about this panel, see “The Results Panel” on page 33.

Note: When you start Developer, it verifies that the other webMethods components support the same locale as Developer. If the locale of an add-in component is not supported by the Developer locale, Developer displays a message in the console warning you of the locale mismatch. For example, if you start Developer in an English locale with a localized Japanese add-in component, Developer displays the following message in the console:

Warning: The following plug-ins are running localized versions even though Developer is not: ComponentName; VersionNumber.

Developer will display some text in English and the component’s text in Japanese.



Developer main window

The Navigation PanelThe Navigation panel displays the contents of packages on the webMethods Integration Servers on which you have an open session. You use the Navigation panel to perform tasks such as creating, opening, locking, copying, moving, renaming, and deleting elements.

Elements in the Navigation panel are shown in a hierarchical structure where the server is the topmost element in the hierarchy. Packages on the server contain one or more folders, which contain other elements that you can create and edit using Developer (for example, services, specifications, and IS document types).

For more information about the tasks you can perform on elements in the Navigation panel, see Chapter 2, “Managing Elements in the Navigation Panel” and Chapter 3, “Working with Packages”.

Navigation Panel IconsEach item in the Navigation panel contains an icon that denotes the item’s type. The following table describes what each icon represents.

The Navigation Paneldisplays the contents ofservers, packages, and

folders.

The Editor displays thecontrols you use to examine

and edit an element youhave opened from the

Navigation panel or RecentElements tab.

The Fabric Tab displaysavailable Web services, if aFabric session is open. The

Recent Elements Tabdisplays the elements you

viewed most recently.

The Properties Panel displays the properties for an item.

The Results Panel displays the results of a service’s execution.



This icon... Represents...

A server. You can have multiple server contexts displayed in Developer. The active server context is the one that is highlighted in the Navigation panel. To display the contents of the server, click the symbol next to its name.

A package. A package contains a set of services and related files, such as specifications, IS document types, and output templates. To display the contents of a package, click next to its name.

A folder. A folder contains related services and optional folders (called subfolders). To display the contents of a folder, click next to its name.

A flow service. A flow service is a service written in the webMethods flow language.

A Web service connector. A Web service connector is a flow service that invokes a Web service located on a remote server. Developer uses a WSDL document to automatically generate a Web service connector.

A Java service. A Java service is a service written in Java.

A C service. A C service is a service written in C/C++.

A specification. A specification is a formal description of a service’s inputs and outputs.

A trigger. A trigger associates one or more publishable document types with one or more services. At run time, when the Integration Server receives a document that satisfies the conditions of the trigger, the Integration Server executes/invokes the associated services. For more information about creating triggers, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

An IS document type. An IS document type contains a set of fields used to define the structure and type of data in a document.

A publishable document type. A publishable document type is an IS document type with specific publishing properties. Instances of publishable document types can be published and subscribed to. Publishable document types can be used anywhere an IS document type is needed.

A publishable document type for an adapter notification. An adapter notification can have an associated publishable document type that the adapter uses to send the notification data to an Integration Server or a Broker.



An IS schema. An IS schema is the blueprint or model document against which you validate an XML document. The schema defines what can and cannot be contained in the XML documents it validates.

An adapter notification. An adapter notification enables an adapter to receive event data from the adapter’s resource. There are two types of adapter notifications:

Polling notifications, which poll the resource for events that occur on the resource.

Listener notifications, which work with listeners to detect and process events that occur on the adapter resource.

For information about creating an adapter notification, refer to the documentation provided with the adapter.

An adapter service. An adapter service connects to an adapter’s resource and initiates an operation on the resource. Adapter services are created using service templates included with the adapter. For information about creating adapter services, refer to the documentation provided with the adapter.

A listener. A listener is an object that connects to an adapter resource and waits for the resource to deliver data when an event occurs on the resource. Listeners work with listener notifications to detect and process event data on the adapter resource.

For information about creating a listener, refer to the documentation provided with the adapter.

A connection. A connection is an object that contains parameters that adapter notifications and listeners use to connect to a resource. For information about creating a connection, refer to the documentation provided with the adapter.

A flat file dictionary. A flat file dictionary contains record definitions, field definitions, and composite definitions that can be used in multiple flat file schemas. For more information about creating a flat file dictionary, see the Flat File Schema Developer’s Guide.

A flat file schema. A flat file schema is the blueprint that contains the instructions for parsing or creating the records in a flat file, as well as the constraints to which an inbound flat file document should conform to be considered valid. Using flat file schemas, you can translate documents into and from flat file formats. For more information about creating a flat file schema, see the Flat File Schema Developer’s Guide.

An XSLT service. An XSLT service converts XML data into other XML formats or HTML, using rules defined in an associated XSLT stylesheet.




Refreshing the Contents of the Navigation PanelThe Navigation panel on your screen is not dynamically updated when other users lock, unlock, add, delete, or rename elements on a server. To refresh the Navigation panel to reflect any changes made to the contents of the servers you are working with, use the Session Refresh command.

The Fabric TabUse the Fabric tab to connect and disconnect Fabric sessions. Once you have opened a Fabric session, you can display, filter, and register Web services. Within the Fabric tab, Web services are sorted in alphabetical order. Simply select a Web service to view more information about the service. For more information about using Fabric with Developer, see the Web Services Developer’s Guide.

Fabric. Developer displays all of the Web services registered in the Fabric below the Fabric name. Developer displays the subnet locator port or the WAN locator URL for the Fabric to which you are connected.

A Web service. A Web service is a service that uses specific XML- based protocols and interface descriptions to communicate.

An Unknown Node. The webMethods component used to create/develop the element is not installed on the client machine.

An Unknown Service. The webMethods component used to create this service is not installed on the client machine.


Note: Other installed webMethods components might add elements to the Navigation panel that are not described in the preceding table. For information about these elements, refer to the documentation provided with these installed components.

Note: Refreshing the session is different from restoring a session. Restoring a session allows you to save changes to an element you were working with when the Integration Server shuts down unexpectedly. For more information about restoring sessions, see “Restoring a Session on a Server” on page 38.

Note: When you select a Web service in the Fabric tab, the editor (the middle area of the Developer window between the Navigation panel and the Properties panel) does not change. This is because Web service details and logic cannot be modified using Developer.



Fabric Tab IconsThe following buttons on the Fabric tab toolbar are shortcuts to frequently-used commands.

The Fabric tab also contains icons to represent the Fabric and the Web services that are registered within Fabric. The following table identifies these icons.

The Recent Elements Tab The Recent Elements tab lists the last 30 elements you viewed in the editor. Developer adds an element to this panel when you close the element. You can use this panel to quickly open elements that you have recently viewed and closed.

You can clear the list of elements currently displayed in the Recent Elements tab by clicking Clear.

Use this button... To...

Connect to a Fabric session while working in Developer. Equivalent to Session Open Fabric.

Disconnect from a Fabric session while working in Developer. Equivalent to Session Close Fabric.

Refresh the display of Web services. Equivalent to Session Refresh Fabric.

Create an expression that filters the contents of the Fabric tab based on the value of a Web service property. Equivalent to Session Set Fabric Filter.

Remove the filter from the contents of the Fabric tab and display all the registered Web services. Equivalent to Session Clear Fabric Filter.


Fabric. Developer displays all of the Web services registered in the Fabric below the Fabric name. Developer displays the subnet locator port or the WAN locator URL for the Fabric to which you are connected.

A Web service. A Web service is a service that uses specific XML- based protocols and interface descriptions to communicate.

Tip! To view a tool tip containing the fully qualified name of the element, the package in which the element resides, and the host name and port number of the server, rest the mouse pointer on the element name.



Developer handles changes to the Recent Elements list as follows:

When you close an open element in the editor, Developer adds the element to the top of the Recent Elements list.

Developer remembers the contents of the Recent Elements tab between sessions. If you attempt to open an element that was deleted after you closed your previous Developer session, Developer alerts you that the element cannot be found and then removes the element from the list.

If you attempt to open an element listed in the Recent Elements tab that another user has deleted, moved, or renamed during your Developer session, Developer displays a message alerting you that the element cannot be found.

If you move or rename an element during your current session, Developer automatically refreshes the Recent Elements tab to reflect the change. If you delete an element, Developer removes the element from the Recent Elements list.

For more information about selecting elements in the Recent Elements tab to view or edit in the editor, see “Opening and Closing Elements in the Editor” on page 49.

The Editor The editor contains the controls that you use to examine and edit an element you open from the Navigation panel or Recent Elements tab. The contents of the editor vary depending on the type of element you select.

For some element types, the editor is divided into multiple areas, including tabs containing additional editing controls for the element. You switch among areas within the editor just as you would between the Navigation panel or Recent Elements tab and the editor. To select a different area, click any white space in that area. To display the contents of a tab, click the tab name.



Editing controls for an element

As mentioned earlier, you can use the Navigation panel and Recent Elements tab to select one or more elements to view or edit in the editor. It is helpful to display multiple elements in the editor when you are editing an element and you would like to refer back to another element for information. For example, if you are creating or editing a trigger, you may want to quickly view the document types and services associated with that trigger.

Each element you open has its own tab in the editor. The element’s title bar contains the fully qualified name of the element and icons to indicate the element’s type and lock status. For more information about these icons, see “Navigation Panel Icons” on page 24 and “What Is a Lock?” on page 92.

If you openan element from theNavigation panel...

...editing controls forthat element are

displayed in the editor.

In this example, a specification is opened in the editor.

The editor lists the input and output fields that were created for this specification. These lists are also referred to as “trees.”

Tip! You can press CTRL+ALT+RIGHT ARROW to toggle forward between open elements in the editor and CTRL+ALT+LEFT ARROW to toggle backward.



Editor with multiple elements opened

The Propert ies Panel The Properties panel displays the properties for the currently selected item in the Developer window. You use this panel to view and edit the properties of an item (such as an element, a step in a flow service, a field in a document, or a link between two variables).

The properties that Developer displays in this panel vary depending on the item you select and which area of the Developer window has the focus. Developer identifies the item for which properties are displayed beneath the title bar of the Properties panel.

Each opened element inthe editor has its

own tab.Click to view tabs that are not currently visible.

Click to close the active element (that is, the element that is currently displayed).

The element’s title bardisplays the element’s

fully qualified name.

Some elements havespecialized tabs.

Tip! You can locate the active element in the Navigation panel by using the Edit Locate in Navigation command.

Tip! If the Properties panel displays the properties for an item (for example, a document field) and you want to display the properties for its parent element (for example, the document type to which the field belongs), click the title bar of the parent element in the editor, the tab of the parent element in the editor, or the white space within the editor.



Properties panel

Depending on the type of property you select, you edit a property by:

Typing a value in the box to the right of the property name (for example, to specify the namespace and local names that make up the universal name for a service)

Selecting a value from a list (for example, to specify a validation processing rule)

Clicking a button next to the property name and supplying values on a dialog box (for example, to specify an index when linking to or from an array variable)

Clicking the browse button to locate an element (for example, a service)

The tips area beneath the list of properties includes a description of the selected property and its values. To obtain this information for a particular property, click the property name.

Description of the selected property.

Name of the item for which properties are displayed. Properties are grouped into categories.

Click to expand the listof properties beneath

a category.

Click to collapse thelist of properties

beneath a category.

Drag to resize the Property and Value columns.

Tip! You can also paste text into the box that you previously copied to the clipboard.

Note: Developer accepts the text you type in a property box when you move the focus outside of the box or press ENTER. You can cancel your edits before you perform either of these actions by pressing ESC.

Note: If you do not own the lock for an element, the element’s properties are read only.

Working in the Developer Window


The Results Panel The Results panel shows the result of a service’s execution, the variables that a service adds to the pipeline, and the contents of those variables. You can use this panel to quickly examine the data produced by the service while you are testing and debugging the service. You can also save the data to a file and use it as input for a later test.

Results panel

For more information about service execution results, see Chapter 11, “Testing and Debugging Services”.


Moving Between PanelsBefore you can perform an action on an item that is displayed in the Developer window, you must first select the panel in which that item appears (that is, give that panel the “focus”). You can only select one panel in the Developer window at a time. Developer indicates which area has the focus by highlighting the area’s title bar in blue.

To switch from one panel of the Developer window to another, click any white space or field within the panel to which you want to switch. This action changes the focus to the new panel and makes its menu commands and toolbar buttons available for use.

Click a variable name...

...to view its contents in the pipeline at this stage of the service’s execution.



Performing Actions Before you can perform an action on an element, you must select the element in one of the following ways:

Single-click the title bar of an element in the editor.

Right-click an element.

Single-click one or more elements in the Navigation panel.

The actions that are available for an element depend on which area of the Developer window has the focus. For example, to run a service, the service must be open in the editor and have the focus.

There are a number of ways to perform an action on an element after you select it:

Menu commands. You can select a command from the menu bar to perform an action on an element. For example, to save changes to an opened element using the menu bar, select the element in the editor and then click File Save.

You can also access menu commands on a shortcut menu by right-clicking the element. For example, to unlock an element using a shortcut menu, right-click the element either in the Navigation panel or in the editor and then click Unlock.

Toolbar buttons. You can click a toolbar button to perform an action on an element. For example, to save changes to an opened element using a toolbar button, select the element in the editor and then click .

The toolbar buttons that are available for you to use depend on the item in the Developer window that currently has the focus. For example, when you are editing a flow service, the flow service toolbar buttons in the editor are not available unless the editor has the focus.

Keys. You can use the keyboard to access a menu by pressing the ALT key plus the underlined letter in the menu name. You can then select a command on that menu by pressing the underlined letter in the command’s title. For example, to save changes to an element using the keyboard, select the element, press ALT and F to access the File menu, and then press S to save the element.

Some commands also have shortcuts assigned to them. These shortcuts are displayed to the right of their associated commands on the menu bar. For example, to save

Tip! To select a group of adjacent elements simultaneously, press the SHIFT key as you click. To select a group of non-adjacent elements, press the CTRL key.

Note: Single-clicking an element in the Navigation panel selects (highlights) the element but does not open the element for viewing or editing in the editor. To open an element in the editor, double-click it.



changes to an element using a keyboard shortcut, select that element and then press CTRL and S.

Drag-and-drop action. You can select an element and move it to another package or element, either on the same server or on a different server, by dragging it. For example, to move an IS document type from one folder to another, you would drag that document type to the new folder.

Most of the procedures in this guide instruct you to perform actions using menu commands.

Resizing Areas in the Developer Window You can resize areas in the Developer window by:

Hiding or showing panels

Dragging the movable border between panels

Switching perspectives

Hiding and Showing PanelsYou can hide and show panels on the Developer window as follows:

Note: Some elements, such as adapter notifications, cannot be moved using the drag-and-drop action.

To... Do this...

Hide the Navigation panel, Fabric tab, and Recent Elements tab Click along the left edge of the Developer window.

Show the Navigation panel, Fabric tab, and Recent Elements tab

Click along the left edge of the Developer window.

Hide the Properties and Results panels

Click along the right edge of the Developer window.



Dragging Movable Borders You can resize areas in the Developer window by dragging the movable borders between panels with your mouse.

Switching Perspectives You can quickly change the Developer window to tailor it to the task you are performing (for example, show only the editor and Results panel when you are testing a service) by displaying a particular perspective. Perspectives allocate more space on the Developer window for a particular task by hiding or minimizing the areas that are not essential to that task.

Developer offers three perspectives:

Edit perspective. The edit perspective displays all of the Developer window areas but minimizes the Results panel. This perspective is useful when you are opening and editing elements and their properties.

Test perspective. The test perspective hides the Navigation panel, Fabric tab, and Recent Elements tab and maximizes the editor and the Results panel. This perspective is useful when you are testing and debugging a service and you want to view the results of the service’s execution, its inputs and outputs, and its pipeline variables.

Details perspective. The details perspective hides the Navigation panel, Fabric tab, and Recent Elements tab and minimizes the Results panel. This perspective is useful when you want to see as much of an element’s detail as possible (for example, a service’s pipeline).

You display a perspective as follows:

Show the Properties and Results panels

Click along the right edge of the Developer window.

Expand or collapse editor details

Click on the border between the top of the editor and the specialized tabs beneath it.

To display the... Use this command... Or click this toolbar button...

Edit perspective Window Edit Perspective

Test perspective Window Test Perspective

Details perspective Window Details Perspective

To... Do this...

Opening, Closing, and Restoring Sessions


You can manually adjust areas within a perspective using the other techniques described in this section. Developer saves your settings across sessions.

If you have adjusted the perspectives manually and you want to revert them to their default settings, use the Window Reset Perspectives command.

Resizing areas in the Developer window

Opening, Closing, and Restoring SessionsWhen you start Developer you are prompted to log on to the server that you want to access. You maintain a session on that server until you exit Developer or close the session.

You can have open sessions on multiple servers at a time. In the Navigation panel, the server that contains the selected element is the server on which your commands will be executed. For example, if you have the localhost:5555 server selected in the Navigation panel and you select the New command, the new element will be created on that server.

You can open a session on another server without closing your current session by using the Session Open command.

Click to hide or show theNavigation panel, Fabric

tab and RecentElements tab. Click to hide or show the

Properties and Results panels.

Click to expand orcollapse editor details.

Drag movable borders to resize panels.

Click to display Edit, Test, and Detail perspectives.



1 On the Session menu, click Open.

2 Complete the Open Session dialog box. For more information about completing this dialog box, see “To start Developer” on page 21.

3 Click OK.

1 Save any work that you want to keep.

2 On the Session menu, click Close.

Restoring a Session on a ServerSometimes a server might shut down before you can save your work. Developer preserves any unsaved work as well as lock information, despite the loss of the connection to the server. When the server restarts, you can restore your session and save your changes to the server.

On the Session menu, click Restore.

To open a session on a different server

Important! While you have an open session on a server through Developer, you are using a licensed seat for that server. At times when you are not actively using Developer, you may want to close your session to free a seat on the server for others to use.

To close a session on the current server

Important! If a server shuts down and you close your session (that is, disconnect from the server), close unsaved elements on that server in the editor, or exit Developer before the server restarts, Developer warns you that if you continue you will lose all unsaved work. If you do not want to lose your work, click Cancel and wait for the connection to that server to be restored.

To restore a session on the server

Note: Restoring a session is different from refreshing the session. Refreshing the session updates your screen to reflect the actions of other users on elements that are displayed within the Navigation panel and the editors. A refresh action does not restore the working state of an element if a server shuts down. For more information about refreshing the Navigation panel, see “Refreshing the Contents of the Navigation Panel” on page 27.

Changing Your Password


Notif ication of Server ShutdownIf the server administrator shuts down the server on which you have an open session, Developer does one of the following:

If the server administrator specified a time delay before shutdown, Developer displays a message notifying you when the shutdown process began and how many minutes remain before the server shuts down. After you receive notification of server shutdown, save any work that you want to keep and then close your session. If you do not close your session, Developer notifies you when the server has shut down.

If the server administrator performed an immediate shutdown, Developer displays a message stating that your connection to the server has been lost. (Developer also displays this message if the network connection to the server is lost.)

If you did not save your work before shut down occurred, you might be able to restore your session when the server restarts and then save your work. For more information about restoring sessions, see “Restoring a Session on a Server” on page 38.

Changing Your PasswordYou can change the password for your user account. If you forget your password, contact the server administrator.

Password RequirementsFor security purposes, webMethods Integration Server places length and character restrictions on passwords. webMethods Integration Server contains a default set of password requirements; however, your server administrator can change these. For more information about these password requirements, contact your server administrator.

Important! If you are outside of the corporate firewall, do not change your password unless you use SSL to open the session on the webMethods Integration Server. If you do not use SSL, your password can be exposed in unencrypted form.

Note: You cannot use Developer to change passwords that are stored in an LDAP or NIS server.



The default password requirements provided by webMethods are as follows:

To ensure the security of your password, follow the additional guidelines below:

Do not choose obvious passwords, such as your name, address, phone number, license plate, spouse’s name, child’s name, or a birthday.

Do not use any word that can be found in the dictionary.

Do not write your password down.

Do not share your password with anyone.

Change your password frequently.

1 On the Session menu, click Change Password.

2 In the Change Password dialog box, in the Old Password field, type your current password.

3 In the New Password field, type your new password.

4 In the Confirm New Password field, retype your new password. Click OK.

Requirement Default

Minimum length 8Minimum number of alphabetic characters 3Minimum number of uppercase characters 2Minimum number of lowercase characters 2Minimum number of numeric characters 1Minimum number of special characters (non-alphabetic and non-numeric characters, such as *. ?, &)

1

To change your password

Important! The server administrator can disable the feature for changing your password from Developer. If the feature is disabled and you try to change your password, you will receive a message stating that the administrator has disabled the feature.

Using Online Help


Using Onl ine Help You can access online help at any point in webMethods Developer. To open the help system and search for a topic of interest, click Contents from the Help menu. Developer also provides the following types of context-sensitive help:

Window areas. For help about the dialog box or Developer window area that currently has the focus, do one of the following:

Click the Help button (available in most dialog boxes).

Press F1.

From the Help menu, click On Topic.

On the Developer window toolbar, click .

Properties. For help about a property, click the property in the Properties panel. Developer displays a description of the property at the bottom of the Properties panel.

Built-in services. For a description of a built-in service within the WmART, WmDB, WmPKI, WmPRT, or WmPublic packages, do one of the following:

If you are browsing the services within a package in the Navigation panel, select a service and press F1.

If you have added a built-in service to a flow service using an INVOKE step, select the built-in service in the editor and press F1.

If you are browsing for a built-in service to add to a flow service, select the built-in service in the Select dialog box and press F1.

You can also view or print descriptions of all built-in services from one location by clicking Help Built-In Service Reference.


C H A P T E R 2Managing Elements in the Navigat ion Panel

What Is an Element? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Creating New Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Specifying Dependency Checking Safeguards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Notes About Performing Actions on Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Opening and Closing Elements in the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Moving and Copying Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Renaming Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Saving Changes to Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Deleting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Finding Elements and Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Finding Dependents and References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Inspecting Pipeline References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Caching Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

C H A P T E R 2 M a n a g i n g E l e m e n t s i n t h e N a v i g a t i o n P a n e l


What Is an Element?An element is an item that exists in the Navigation panel in webMethods Developer. Elements include folders, services, specifications, IS document types, triggers, and IS schemas. In the Navigation panel, servers and packages are not considered to be elements.

Elements in the Navigation panel

The following table identifies where to go for more information about creating new elements and performing actions on those elements.

Folders, services,triggers, specifications,

IS document types,and IS schemas are

elements.

For information about... See...

Creating, opening, moving and copying, renaming, deleting, finding, and caching elements

The sections in this chapter

Locking elements Chapter 4, “Locking and Unlocking Elements”

Performing actions on packages Chapter 3, “Working with Packages”

Creating New Elements


Creat ing New ElementsWhen creating elements, keep the following points in mind:

You cannot create a new Java or C service unless all services of those types are unlocked, or locked by you, in the folder in which you want to create the new service. For details, see “Locking Java and C/C++ Services” on page 94.

The names of non-folder elements must be unique across all packages. If you try to create an element using a name that already exists at that level in any package, Developer creates the element and names it Untitled.

Developer places some restrictions on the characters you can use in element and package names. For more information about these restrictions, see “Guidelines for Naming Elements” on page 46.

1 On the File menu, click New.

2 On the New dialog box, click the type of element you want to create and then click Next.

3 Follow the prompts given by Developer for the type of element you are creating.

When you have supplied all of the information that Developer needs to create the element, the Finish button becomes active.

4 Click Finish.

About Element Names The fully qualified name of an Integration Server element is composed of two parts: a folder identifier, consisting of the folder path in which the element resides, and the element name. The Integration Server represents elements in the following format:

folder.subfolder1.subfolder2:element

To create a new element

Tip! You can quickly create an element by clicking next to the New button on the toolbar and then clicking the element you want to create. Developer adds the element beneath the currently selected element, with a default name of Untitled.

If you select multiple elements and then click this button, Developer offers only the All Choices option, which opens the New dialog box described in the procedure above.



For example, if the HomeLoan service is in the Personal folder, which is contained in the Finance folder, the fully qualified service name is:

Finance.Personal:HomeLoan

Package Names and Element NamesThe name of the package to which an element belongs has no bearing on the names of the elements that package contains (that is, the package name is not part of the fully qualified name of the element). Nor does it affect how the element is referenced by a client application. For example, if you move a service called Personnel:GetDeptNames from a package called Admin to a package called EmployeeData, client applications would still reference the service as Personnel:GetDeptNames.

Guidelines for Naming Elements webMethods Developer places some restrictions on the characters you can use in element and package names. Specifically, element and package names cannot contain:

Reserved words and characters that are used in Java or C/C++ (such as for, while, and if )

Digits as their first character

Spaces

Control characters and special characters like periods (.), including:

Characters outside of the basic ASCII character set, such as multi-byte characters

If you specify a name that disregards these restrictions, Developer displays an error message. When this happens, use a different name or try adding a letter or number to the name to make it valid.

Note: Developer ensures that the fully qualified name of each element within the server is unique. Depending on the action you are performing on the element, Developer accomplishes this either by alerting you that the action cannot be completed or by appending a number to the name of the element after the action is performed. For example, if you are copying a flow service named checkOrder2 to a destination that already contains a flow service with that name, Developer copies the service and names the copy checkOrder2_1.

? ' - # = ) ( . / \ ;

& @ ^ ! | } { ` > <

% * : $ ] [ " + , ~

Specifying Dependency Checking Safeguards


Edit ing ElementsTo edit an element, you must first lock it. You must also have Write access to the element. For more information about locking and unlocking elements, see Chapter 4, “Locking and Unlocking Elements”. For more information about access permissions, see Chapter 5, “Assigning and Managing Permissions”.

Specify ing Dependency Checking SafeguardsDeveloper automatically checks for dependents when you delete, rename, or move elements in the Navigation panel. This dependency checking acts as a safeguard to prevent you from inadvertently affecting other elements on the webMethods Integration Server. This is especially important during collaborative development on the same webMethods Integration Server.

You can have Developer prompt you before deleting, moving, or renaming an element with dependents. You can also have Developer update local references when pasting elements.

1 On the Tools menu, click Options.

2 Click General. Under Navigation Panel, do the following:

Tip! You can produce printable versions of many of the elements in the Navigation panel by clicking File View as HTML.

Note: The dependency checking options are enabled by default.

To specify dependency checking safeguards

Select... To...

Confirm before deleting Instruct Developer to notify you before deleting an element used by other elements, such as flow services, IS document types, specifications, or triggers.

If Developer finds elements that depend on the element being deleted, Developer lists those dependents and prompts you to delete the element anyway or cancel the action.

If you clear this check box, Developer deletes the element without prompting you.



3 Click OK.

For more information about finding dependents, see “Finding Dependents and References” on page 63.

Notes About Performing Act ions on Elements When performing actions on one or more elements, keep the following points in mind:

You must have at least List access to view elements, Read access to select elements to move or copy, Write access to the location to which you want to move/copy elements, and Write access to elements you want to rename or delete. If you select multiple elements and you do not have the required access to one or more of them, you will not be able to perform the action. You must either ask your system administrator to give you the required access to the elements or select only elements for which you have the proper access.

Developer prompts you to save changes to an element before allowing you to perform an action on the element, close the element in the editor, close your session on the current server, or exit Developer.

The actions you can perform on items depend on the type and combination of items you select. If an action is not allowed for one or more elements in a selection,

Prompt before updating dependents when renaming/moving

Instruct Developer to alert you when dependents (that is, other elements that use the selected element, such as flow services, IS document types, or triggers) exist.

If dependents exist, Developer lists those dependents before renaming or moving the selected element and prompts you to:

Rename/move the selected element and update references in dependent elements.

Rename/move the selected element without updating references to it.

Cancel the action.

If you clear this check box, Developer automatically updates dependents without prompting you.

Update local references when pasting multiple elements

Instruct Developer to update references when copying and pasting a group of elements that refer to each other.

If you clear this check box, Developer retains the original references in the copied elements.

Select... To...

Opening and Closing Elements in the Editor


Developer makes the action unavailable for use. For example, Developer disables the cut, copy, paste, and delete actions if you select a server. Developer also prevents you from selecting multiple elements when doing so could cause confusion or undefined results. For example, you cannot select a server and any other element, a package and any other element, or a folder and one or more elements contained within that folder.

If you select multiple elements and Developer encounters an error while performing the specified action on one or more of the elements, Developer displays a dialog box listing the elements for which the action failed. You can obtain more information about why the action failed by clicking Details.

The elements you want to move, copy, rename, save, or delete must be unlocked, or locked by you. For more information about locking and unlocking elements, see Chapter 4, “Locking and Unlocking Elements”.

You cannot undo a move, copy, rename, or delete action using the Edit Undo command.

If you select a publishable document type that is associated with an adapter notification, Developer handles actions performed on the document type as follows:

For non-copy actions, you must also select the adapter notification before you can perform a non-copy action on the document type.

For copy actions, you can select the publishable document type without selecting its associated adapter notification. However, the copied publishable document type loses its association with the adapter notification.

Opening and Closing Elements in the Editor You can open elements from either the Navigation panel or the Recent Elements tab.

When opening elements from the Navigation panel, keep the following points in mind:

Single-clicking an element selects the element but does not display its details in the editor. Double-clicking an element opens it in the editor.

Double-clicking a folder expands or collapses the contents of the folder in the Navigation panel. To view a folder’s properties in the Properties panel, perform the steps in the procedure that follows.

1 Select one or more elements to open.

To open elements in the editor

Tip! Press the SHIFT key as you click to select a group of adjacent elements. Press the CTRL key to select a group of non-adjacent elements.



2 On the File menu, click Open.

If you are opening an element from the Recent Elements tab and the element resides on a server to which you are no longer connected, Developer prompts you to log on to that server before displaying the element.

Do one of the following:

Moving and Copying Elements You can move or copy elements between packages and, in most cases, across servers.

When moving or copying elements, keep the following points in mind:

General

You must have Read access to the elements you are moving or copying and Write access to the packages, folders, or servers to where you want to move/copy them. For more information about Write access and ACLs assigned to elements, see Chapter 5, “Assigning and Managing Permissions”.

When you move or copy an element, Developer automatically changes the element’s fully qualified name to reflect its new location.

You cannot move an element to a location that already contains an element with the same name. If you copy the element, however, Developer copies the element and appends a number to the end of the name of the copied element.

To close elements in the editor

To... Do this...

Close the active element in the editor (that is, the element whose tab is highlighted)

On the Window menu, click Close Active Editor.

Close all elements except the active one On the Window menu, click Close All But Active Editor.

Close all elements in the editor On the Window menu, click Close All Editors.

Note: You do not need to close elements when you exit Developer. Developer remembers which elements were open and displays them when you restart Developer. If you close an element without saving changes made to the element, Developer will prompt you to save changes.

Moving and Copying Elements


You cannot move multiple elements with the same name to a single location.

After you move or copy an element, the element becomes locked by you.

When you copy multiple elements to another location on the same server and the elements contain references to each other, Developer updates the references if you have selected Update local reference(s) when pasting multiple elements on the Options dialog box. For example, if you copy a folder that contains two services and one of the services invokes the other, Developer will update the reference to the invoked service.

Moving and Copying Services

When you move or copy a service, Developer does not move/copy any output templates that are associated with that service.

If you move a service, or a folder containing a service, Developer retains the service’s explicit universal name. If you copy a service or a folder containing a service, Developer does not retain the service’s explicit universal name. You must restore the universal name by editing the service’s properties. For more information, see “Assigning Universal Names to Services” on page 143.

When you move or copy a Java service, Developer automatically recompiles the service and any Java services that remain in the source folder. When you delete a Java service, Developer recompiles any Java services that remain in the source folder.

You cannot move or copy a Java service to a folder that contains other Java services that are system locked or locked by another user. If you attempt to do so, Developer cancels the entire move/copy action.

When you move or copy a Java service, Developer will also move or copy the service’s Shared fields to the destination folder, unless the destination folder already contains Shared fields with different values. In this case, you must first manually copy the Shared fields into the destination folder and then move or copy the Java service.

Copying Elements Between Servers

When you cut and paste or drag elements between servers, Developer retains a copy of the elements on the source server. That is, a move (cut and paste or drag) action is the same as a copy action.

Developer does not automatically copy an element’s references to the destination server. Instead, it displays a dialog box after the copy alerting you to any unresolved references. You must copy the references to the destination server manually.

Developer does not automatically update references when copying across servers. Therefore, if you are copying multiple elements from one server to another using Developer and the elements reference each other, you should paste the elements into a location with the same name on the destination server.

If you are copying an add-in element that has a component that resides on the server, and the destination server does not have that add-in component installed, Developer



displays an error message stating that you are attempting to copy an unknown element. Developer does not copy the add-in elements but does copy other elements in the selection.

Elements you copy to a folder on a different server adopt the ACL access permissions of the destination folder, even if they had explicitly assigned ACLs on the source server. Folders you copy to a package on a different server inherit the default ACLs for top-level folders.

When you copy a trigger to another server, the trigger will be pasted in a disabled state. To create the subscriptions identified in the trigger, you must enable the trigger. When you copy a package to another server, the triggers contained in the package will maintain their original state.

If you are configuring a cluster, use the package replication feature in the Integration Server Administrator to populate the cluster nodes. See the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide for more information about this feature.

When you move or copy a publishable document type to a destination on the same server, the moved or copied document type remains publishable. When you copy a publishable document type to a different server, Developer converts the publishable document type to an IS document type on the destination server. For more information about making IS document types publishable and synchronizing them with Broker document types, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

Moving and Copying Adapter Notifications and Related Elements

Although you cannot move an adapter notification’s publishable document type without also moving its associated adapter notification, you can copy it. If you do so, the copied document type remains publishable but is no longer associated with the adapter notification.

When you move or copy an adapter notification, Developer also moves/copies its associated publishable document type and prompts you to indicate whether to move/copy the associated Broker document type.

You cannot move or copy adapter notifications, adapter notification publishable document types, or adapter services across servers. If you are selecting multiple elements and your selection contains any of these elements, Developer alerts you that the move/copy action cannot be completed.

You cannot move or copy a listener or connection element.

Tip! To retain the status of a publishable document type and its link to a Broker document type, use the package replication functionality in the Integration Server Administrator instead of using Developer to move or copy the package containing the publishable document type. For information about package replication, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

Moving and Copying Elements


1 Select the elements that you want to move or copy.

2 Do one of the following:

3 If the elements you want to move or copy contain unsaved changes, Developer alerts you that you must first save the changes. Click OK to close the alert dialog box. Then, save the changes and repeat the move/copy action.

4 If you do not have Read access to the elements you are moving or copying, or Write access to the location you are moving/copying them to, Developer displays a message that identifies the elements that are preventing the action from completing successfully. Click OK and then either obtain the proper access from your system administrator or select only those elements to which you have proper access.

5 Select the location where you want to move or copy the elements.

6 On the Edit menu, click Paste After.

7 If the destination already contains an element with the same name as an element you are moving or copying, do one of the following:

If you are moving the element, Developer alerts you that the element cannot be moved. Click OK to close the alert dialog box. Rename the element if desired and repeat the move action.

If you are copying the element, Developer copies the element and appends a number to the name of the copied element. (For example, if you are copying a flow service named checkOrder2 to a destination that already contains a flow service with that name, Developer copies the service and names the copy checkOrder2_1.) Rename the element if desired.

For more information about renaming elements, see “Renaming Elements” on page 55.

8 If one of the elements you moved or copied is a Java service, perform the following as necessary:

If you are moving or copying the Java service to a folder with other Java services that are system locked or locked by another user, Developer alerts you that the element cannot be moved/copied.

To move or copy elements

To... Click...

Cut the element Edit Cut

Copy the element Edit Copy

Tip! You can cancel a cut action by pressing ESC.



Click OK and then ask the owner of the lock to remove the lock.

If the Java service you are moving or copying contains a shared source that conflicts with the shared source of an existing Java service in the destination folder, Developer alerts you that there is a conflict. Click Proceed to use the destination folder’s shared source, or click Cancel to cancel the entire move action.

9 If you clicked the Prompt before updating dependents when renaming/moving check box in the Options dialog box and any elements on the current server contain unsaved changes, Developer prompts you to save the element(s). Do one of the following:

10 If you clicked Proceed without Save in Step 9, Developer identifies the elements that will be affected by the move.


For more information about dependency safeguards, see “Specifying Dependency Checking Safeguards” on page 47.

Note: If no shared Java source conflict exists, Developer moves the Java service and its shared source to the destination folder. If a conflict does exist, you must respecify the Shared tab information in the copy of the service. (You can copy the information from the Shared tab for the original service to the Shared tab for the copy of the service.)

To... Click...

Save changes and then proceed with the move/copy action Save and Proceed

Proceed with the move/copy action without saving changes

Proceed without Save

Cancel the entire move/copy action Cancel

To... Click...

Move the selected element and update references to dependent elements

Update Usages

Move the selected element in the Navigation panel without updating references to dependent elements

Ignore Usages

Cancel the entire move action Cancel

Tip! You can also move elements by clicking them and dragging them to their new location.

Renaming Elements


Renaming ElementsWhen renaming elements, keep the following points in mind:

You can rename any elements for which you have Write access to the element and its parent folder. When renaming a folder, you must also have Write access to all elements within the folder. For more information about Write access and ACLs assigned to elements, see Chapter 5, “Assigning and Managing Permissions”.

When you rename a folder, Developer automatically renames all of the elements in that folder (that is, changes their fully qualified names).

If the folder you want to rename contains elements with unsaved changes, you must save the changes before you can rename the folder.

Element names must be unique across all packages. If you try to rename an element using a name that already exists at that level in any package, Developer reverts the element back to its original name.

When you rename an adapter notification, Developer also renames its associated publishable document type and prompts you to indicate whether to rename the associated Broker document type.

You cannot rename a listener or connection element.

1 Select the element that you want to rename.

2 On the Edit menu, click Rename.

3 If the element you want to rename contains unsaved changes, Developer alerts you that the element cannot be renamed until you save the changes. Click OK to close the alert dialog box. Then, save the changes and repeat the rename action.

4 Developer moves the cursor to the end of the element name. Edit the name and press ENTER.

If an element already exists with that name at the same level, Developer displays a message alerting you that the rename action could not be completed. Click OK to close the message dialog box and repeat the rename action.

To rename an element

Tip! You can cancel a rename action by pressing ESC.



5 If you clicked the Prompt before updating dependents when renaming/moving check box in the Options dialog box and any elements on the current server contain unsaved changes, Developer prompts you to save the element(s). Do one of the following:

6 If you clicked Proceed without Save in Step 5, Developer alerts you to the elements that will be affected by the rename action.



To... Click...

Save changes and then proceed with the rename action Save and Proceed

Proceed with the rename action without saving changes Proceed without Save

Cancel the entire rename action Cancel

To... Click...

Rename the selected element in the Navigation panel and update references to dependent elements

Update Usages

Rename the selected element without updating references to dependent elements

Ignore Usages

Cancel the entire rename action Cancel

Saving Changes to Elements


Saving Changes to Elements Changes that you make to an element are not written to webMethods Integration Server until you explicitly save your work.


If you attempt to close Developer, close your session on the current server, close an unsaved element in the editor, or perform an action on an element without saving your changes, Developer will prompt you to save changes first.

Delet ing ElementsWhen deleting elements, keep the following points in mind:

You can delete any elements to which you have Write access for the element and its parent folder. When deleting a folder, you must also have Write access to all elements within the folder. For more information about Write access and ACLs assigned to elements, see Chapter 5, “Assigning and Managing Permissions”.

When you delete a folder or the last Java service in a folder, Developer also deletes the shared source for that folder. If you cancel the delete action, no elements (including non-Java service elements) are deleted.

You can only delete an adapter notification’s publishable document type if you delete its associated adapter notification.

When you delete an adapter notification, Developer also deletes its associated publishable document type and prompts you to indicate whether to delete the associated Broker document type.

You cannot delete a listener or connection element.

1 Select the elements that you want to delete.

2 On the Edit menu, click Delete.

To save changes to elements

To... Do this...

Save changes to the current element On the File menu, click Save.

Save all elements you have edited, on all servers

On the File menu, click Save All Editors.

To delete elements



3 If you selected the Confirm before deleting check box in the Options dialog box, do the following:

a If any elements on the server contain unsaved changes, Developer prompts you to save the element(s). Do one of the following:

b If the elements you are deleting are not dependents of other elements, Developer prompts you to confirm the delete action. Click OK.

c If the elements you are deleting are dependents of other elements, Developer alerts you to the elements that will be affected by the deletion. Do the following:

1 If one of the elements you want to delete is a publishable document type or an adapter notification, do one of the following:

To... Click...

Save changes and then proceed with the delete action

Save and Proceed

Proceed with the delete action without saving changes

Proceed without Save

Cancel the entire delete action Cancel

To... Do this...

Delete the element on the Integration Server but leave the corresponding document type on the Broker

Clear the Delete associated Broker document type on the Broker check box.

Delete the element on the Integration Server and the corresponding document type on the Broker

Select the Delete associated Broker document type on the Broker check box.

Important! If you delete a publishable document type and Broker document type associated with a trigger or a flow service, you might break any integration solution that uses the document type. If you delete the Broker document type, you might negatively impact any publishable document types created from that Broker document type on other Integration Servers. When the developers synchronize document types with the Broker and they choose to Pull from Broker, publishable document types associated with the deleted Broker document type will be removed from their Integration Servers.

Finding Elements and Fields


2 Continue or cancel the delete action as follows:


Finding Elements and FieldsYou can find elements and fields within Developer using the following methods:

Find elements in the Navigation panel. When creating and editing elements, you might lose track of where you saved certain elements. For example, suppose that you do not remember the folder to which you saved a service called Test.

Find fields in editor trees. You can search for fields in certain trees in the editor (that is, from within a document or specification editor, and in a flow service’s Pipeline tab). You might want to search for fields when working with a large document with many fields.

Locate an invoked service from the editor. You can highlight the location of an invoked service in the Navigation panel. This is especially helpful when working with a flow written by another party and with complex flows that make multiple invokes.

Finding Elements in the Navigation PanelUsing the Find command, you can search across all packages and folders within a server to find all occurrences of a specified element name.

The Find command searches the fully qualified names of elements. If you search for the name Test, the results display all elements with Test in their fully qualified name. The results could include a service called Sample located in a Test folder, or an IS document type called SampleTest.

The Find command interprets search terms as case-sensitive regular expressions. By default, the command looks for all elements containing a specified search term. For example, if you specified “Test” as a search term, the results would include elements named “Test,” “MyTest,” and “TestFinal.” You can also include regular expression operator characters. For example:

To... Click...

Delete the elements from the Navigation panel (and therefore break any links to dependent elements)

Continue

Cancel the entire delete action Cancel



For a complete list of regular expression operator characters, see Appendix B, “Regular Expressions”.

1 Click anywhere in the Navigation panel.

2 On the Edit menu, click Find. Developer displays the Find In Navigation Panel dialog box.

3 In the Find In Navigation Panel box, type any portion of the fully qualified name of the element that you want to find.

4 If you want to limit the scope of the search to a specific package, select the package in the Package list.

5 Click Find. The Find In Navigation Panel dialog box displays the results of the search.

To find... Type...

All elements containing “PO” PO

All elements starting with “PO” ^PO

All elements ending with “PO” PO$

All services with the exact name of “logPO” :logPO$

All elements containing “log” followed by any two characters (wildcards)

log..

Note: The Find command supports regular expressions but not conditional statements. For example, you can specify Test as a search term, but not Test OR Test1.

To find an element in the Navigation panel

Finding Elements and Fields


Results of search for “PO”

6 To jump to an element in the Navigation panel, select that element in the results and click Go To.

Finding Fields in Editor Trees You can search for a field in any of the following trees in the editor:

Trees in a document or specification editor

Trees in the Pipeline In, Pipeline Out, Service In, and Service Out areas in the Pipeline tab of a flow service editor

When searching for fields on an editor tree, keep the following points in mind:

You can search only one tree at a time. For example, if you want to find fields that contain the text number in the Pipeline In and Service In areas of the Pipeline tab, search one tree, and then the next.

You can refine your search by requiring Developer to find only fields that match the capitalization of the search text or fields that match only the complete word specified as the search text.

The term “PO” isfound in...

...the names of 33elements in the

Navigation panel. Allof these elements

contain “PO” in theirfully qualified name.

Note: If you receive a “Couldn’t find in Navigation panel” message when you click Go To, you probably do not have List access to the element. Contact your server administrator to obtain access.

Tip! For an active element in the editor, you can highlight the element’s location in the Navigation panel using the Edit Locate in Navigation command.



You can search for a parent and child field combination. For example, if you specify address/street as the search text, Developer searches for all instances where a field named street is a child of a document or document list field named address. If you specify customerInformation/address/street as the search criteria, Developer searches for a field named customerInformation that contains a field named address which contains a field named street. Use a forward slash (/) to separate the parent field from the child field.

Developer does not treat search text as a regular expression. For example, if you type ^PO, Developer searches for fields that contain the text ^PO. Developer does not search for fields that begin with the text PO.

Developer searches the tree as follows:

If you select a field, Developer begins searching at the selected field and continues to the bottom of the tree. If you have not selected a field, Developer begins searching at the top of the tree.

When Developer finds a field that matches the search criteria, Developer selects the field in the tree.

When Developer reaches the bottom of the tree, Developer displays a message asking if you would like to continue searching from the top of the tree.

After completing a search of the entire tree, if Developer cannot find a matching field, Developer displays a message stating that the search text was not found.

1 Select the tree in which you want to search for a field.

2 On the Edit menu, click Find.

3 In the Find what field, type the text you want to search for. If you want to search for a parent-child field combination, use a forward slash (/) to separate the parent field from the child field.

Note: Developer interprets the forward slash character (/) as the divider between the name of a parent field and a child field. Developer will not search for a field name that contains a forward slash character. For example, if you type true/false as the search text, Developer searches for a field named false that is a child of a document or document list field named true. Developer does not search for a field named true/false.

To find a field within an editor tree

Finding Dependents and References


4 To further refine your search, do one or more of the following:

5 Click Find Next. If Developer finds a match, it selects the field and displays it on the Pipeline tab.

6 Click Find Next to find the next field that matches the search criteria.

Locating Invoked Services You can navigate to the location of an invoked service in both the flow view.

1 In the editor, select the INVOKE step containing the service you want to locate.

2 On the Edit menu, click Locate in Navigation. Developer locates and selects the service in the Navigation panel.

Finding Dependents and ReferencesBefore performing an action on a selected element, you can determine whether other elements will be affected by the change by finding dependents and references of the element. In Developer, a dependent is an element that uses a selected element, and a reference is an element that is used by a selected element.

Finding Dependents To determine how a selected element is used by other elements on the server, you can find dependents of the selected element. For example, suppose that the flow service ServiceA invokes the flow service receivePO. The ServiceA service uses (that is, is a dependent of) the receivePO service. If you delete receivePO from the Navigation panel, ServiceA will not run.

To... Do this...

Find fields with the same capitalization as the text in the Find what field

Select the Match case check box.

Find only fields that match the complete word in the Find what field

Select the Match whole words check box.

Find fields that contain the text in the Find what field as all or a portion of their name

Clear the Match whole words check box.

To find an invoked service



Dependent elements

During debugging, you might want to locate all of the dependents of a given service or IS document type. Or, before editing an IS document type, you might want to know what elements, such as specifications, triggers, or flow services, will be affected by changes to the IS document type. Use the Find Dependents command to find all the dependents.

1 In the Navigation panel or in the editor, select the element for which you want to find dependents.

2 On the Tools menu, click Find Dependents.

The Find Dependents dialog box displays the dependents of the element.

Find Dependents dialog box

This service is adependent of...

...each of theseservices.

Note: Developer does not consider a Java service that invokes another services to be a dependent. For example, if Java service A invokes service B, and you instruct Developer to find dependents of service B, service A will not appear as a dependent.

To find dependents of a selected element

The services:receivePOservice is used by...

...this element.

Finding Dependents and References


3 After Developer finds the dependents of the selected element, you may do any of the following:

To jump to an element in the Navigation panel, select that element in the results and then click Go To.

To see all dependents of a found dependent, click next to the item in the results list.

To limit the scope of the search to a specific package, select the package in the Package list and then click Find.

Finding References To determine how a selected element uses other elements on the server, you can find references of the selected element. For example, the flow service ServiceA invokes the services receivePO, pub.schema:validate, processPO and submitPO. Additionally, in its input signature, ServiceA declares a document reference to the IS document type PODocument. The services receivePO, validate, processPO, and submitPO, and the IS document type PODocument, are used by (that is, they are references of) ServiceA.

Elements as references

During debugging of a complex flow service, you might want to locate all of the services, IS document types, and specifications used by the flow service. Use the Find References command to locate the references.

You can also use the Find References command to locate any unresolved references. An unresolved reference is an element that does not exist in the Navigation panel yet is still referred to in the service, IS document type, or specification that you selected. The element might have been renamed, moved, or deleted. To prevent unresolved references, specify the dependency checking safeguards. For more information about these safeguards, see “Specifying Dependency Checking Safeguards” on page 47.

Each of these servicesis a reference of

ServiceA.

Note: Developer does not consider document references to schema types to be references, nor does it consider services invoked within a Java service to be references of the Java service. For example, if Java service A invokes service B, and you instruct Developer to find references for service A, service B will not appear as a reference of A.



1 In the Navigation panel or in the editor, select the element for which you want to find references.

2 On the Tools menu, click Find References.

The Find References dialog box displays the references of the element. Unresolved references are indicated in bold italics.

Find References dialog box

3 After Developer finds the references of the selected element, you may do either of the following:


To see all references of a found reference, click next to the item in the results list.

Inspect ing Pipel ine ReferencesA pipeline reference is where a Link, Drop, or Set Value pipeline modifier is assigned to a field in a document reference or document reference list on the Pipeline tab. For example, in its input signature, ServiceA declares a document reference to the IS document type PODocument. If ServiceA contains an INVOKE or MAP step in which a field in the document reference is linked to another pipeline variable, then that link is a pipeline reference. In the following illustration of the Pipeline tab, the link between PoNum and num is a pipeline reference.

To find references of a selected element

The processPOservice uses...

...these elements.

The element in bolditalics does not exist in

the Navigation panel

Inspecting Pipeline References


Pipeline reference

Pipeline references are also those locations where you assign a Set Value modifier or a

Drop Value modifier to a field in a document reference or document reference list. The following illustration of the Pipeline tab identifies these types of pipeline references.

Examples of pipeline references

When you edit an IS document type, the changes affect any document reference and document reference list variables defined by that IS document type. The changes might make pipeline references invalid. For example, suppose the input signature for ServiceA contains a document reference variable POInfo based on the IS document type PODocument. The IS document type PODocument contains the field PONum. In the pipeline for ServiceA, you link the PONum field to another pipeline variable. If you edit the PODocument IS document type by deleting the PONum field, the pipeline reference (the link) for the field in the ServiceA pipeline is broken (that is, it is invalid) because the pipeline contains a link to a field that does not exist.

This variable is areference to the

PODocument in theNavigation panel.

The link betweenPONum and num is a

pipeline reference.

... this Set Value modifierare pipeline references.

This Drop Valuemodifier and...



When you edit an IS document type, you might want to check all dependent pipeline modifiers for validity. You can use the Tools Inspect Pipeline References command to locate any broken or invalid pipeline references. You can use this command to:

Search for invalid pipeline references in a selected flow service.

Search for invalid pipeline references involving document reference and document reference list variables defined by a selected IS document type.

When inspecting pipeline references, keep the following points in mind:

You can inspect pipeline references in a selected flow service. You can also inspect pipeline references for document reference or document reference list variables based on a selected IS document type. The search results include only flow services, document reference variables, or document reference list variables that contain invalid pipeline modifiers.

Values set at the top level of a document reference or document reference list in the

pipeline are not considered pipeline references. (That is, a Set Value modifier assigned to the document reference is not a pipeline reference.) Therefore, if a Set Value modifier assigned to a document reference contains input values for a nonexistent field, it will not appear in the search results even though it is invalid.

The search results will not show data type and dimensionality mismatches. For example, suppose that you link a String named Number to the PONum String list within the document reference PODocument. This dimensionality mismatch will not appear in the search results.

When you inspect pipeline references in a flow service, Developer inspects references across all packages on webMethods Integration Server.

When you inspect pipeline references for an IS document type, you can inspect references across a specific package or all packages.

1 In the Navigation panel or in the editor, select the flow service or IS document type for which you want to find invalid pipeline references.

2 On the Tools menu, click Inspect Pipeline References.

The Inspect Pipeline References dialog box displays all invalid pipeline references for the selected service or IS document type.

If you inspected a flow service, the search results contain all of the document references that have invalid pipeline references in that flow.

If you inspected an IS document type, the search results contain all of the flow services that have invalid pipeline references to that IS document type.

To inspect pipeline references

Inspecting Pipeline References


Inspect Pipeline References dialog box

3 After Developer finds the pipeline references of the selected element, you may do any of the following:


To jump to the unresolved reference in the pipeline, select the element in the results and then click Find in Flow.

If the selected element has multiple unresolved references in the same flow service and you want to automatically jump to the next reference within the selected element, you can use the Find Next command. To use the Find Next command, keep the Inspect Pipeline References dialog box open and click Edit Find Next.

If the selected element is a document type and you want to limit the scope of the search to a specific package, select the package in the Package list and then click Inspect.

The getData flowservice contains...

...an invalid reference inits pipeline to the IS

document type po_doc.



Caching ElementsYou can improve performance in Developer by caching Navigation panel elements that are frequently used. When elements are located in the Developer cache, Developer does not need to request them from the Integration Server and can therefore display them more quickly.

1 On the Tools menu, click Options.

2 In the Options dialog box, click General.

3 Under Navigation Panel, in the Number of elements to cache box, type the number of elements that you want to cache per Developer session. The total number of cached elements includes elements on all the servers to which you are connected.

The minimum number of elements is 10. The higher the number of elements, the more likely an element will be in the cache, which reduces network traffic and speeds up Developer.

4 Click OK. The caching settings take effect immediately.

If you enter an illegal cache size Developer displays an error and resets the cache size to the previous value.

Clearing the Developer CacheWhen you clear the Developer cache, you remove Navigation panel elements from memory for all servers. The following elements are not removed:

Flow services with breakpoints (if you want to clear the flow service from the cache, remove the breakpoint and clear the cache again)

Flow services that are currently being debugged (for example, if a service has been stepped into)

Unsaved elements

Keep in mind that the cache is automatically cleared when you close Developer or when you refresh the session by using the Session Refresh command.

To cache elements

Note: Keep in mind that increasing the cache reduces the amount of available memory. If you experience memory problems, consider decreasing the number of cached elements.

Caching Elements


1 On the Tools menu, click Options. Developer displays the Options dialog box.

2 Click General.

3 Under Navigation Panel, click the Clear Cache button. All cached elements are removed from memory.

To clear the Developer cache

Note: Clearing cached elements from Developer is different from clearing the contents of the pipeline from webMethods Integration Server cache. If you want to clear the contents of the pipeline from a server’s cache, see “Configuring a Service’s Use of Cache” on page 136.


C H A P T E R 3Working with Packages

What Is a Package? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Package Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Replication Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

C H A P T E R 3 W o r k i n g w i t h P a c k a g e s


What Is a Package?A package is a container that is used to bundle services and related elements, such as specifications, IS document types, IS schemas, and output templates. When you create a folder, service, specification, IS document type, IS schema, or output template, you save it in a package.

Packages are designed to hold all of the components of a logical unit in an integration solution. For example, you might group all the services and files specific to a particular marketplace in a single package. By grouping these components into a single package, you can easily manipulate them as a unit. For example, you can copy, reload, distribute, or delete the set of components (the “package”) with a single action.

Although you can group services using any package structure that suits your purpose, most sites organize their packages by function or application. For example, they might put all purchasing-related services in a package called “PurchaseOrderMgt” and all time-reporting services into a package called “TimeCards.”

On the server, a package represents a subdirectory within the webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages directory. All the components that belong to a package reside in the package’s subdirectory.

For a list and description of packages installed with the Integration Server, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

Package ManagementYou can use webMethods Developer to perform certain package management tasks, such as creating, copying, and deleting packages, on the Integration Server. When you perform a package management task, all of the files and services in the package are affected.

The following table identifies all of the package management tasks that can be performed using Developer or the Integration Server Administrator. If you can perform the task with Developer, the See column directs you to a page within this guide for instructions. For tasks that can only be performed using the Integration Server Administrator, the See column directs you to the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

Note: Every element in webMethods Developer must belong to a package.

To... See...

Create a package page 76

Activate a package webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide

Copy a package to another server page 77

Package Management


View details for a package page 77

Document the purpose and function of a package

page 79

View the patch history for a package page 82 and webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide

Assign startup, shutdown, or replication services to a package

page 87

Reload the services and files in a package into memory without restarting the server

page 80 and webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide

Delete the contents of a package page 80 and webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide

Assign a version number to a package page 81 and webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide

Identify packages that must be loaded before a specific package is loaded (package dependencies)

page 84

Export a package or partial package page 81

Replicate or copy the contents of a package and send (publish) it to other Integration Servers

page 77 and webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide

Disable a package without deleting the package

webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide

Enable a package that you previously disabled


Recover services and related files from a deleted package


Archive a copy of the package (such as for a backup copy)


To... See...



Creating a PackageWhen you want to create a new grouping for services and related files, create a package. Packages can store services, specifications, IS document types, output templates, and schemas.

When you create a package, Developer creates a new subdirectory for the package in the file system on the machine where the Integration Server is installed. For information about the subdirectory and its contents, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

Guidelines for Naming PackagesKeep the following guidelines in mind when naming new packages:

Start all package names with an uppercase letter and capitalize the first letter of subsequent words (for example, PurchaseOrder).

Keep package names short. Use abbreviations instead of full names. For example, instead of ProcessPurchaseOrder, use ProcessPO.

Make sure the package name describes the functionality and purpose of the services it contains.

Avoid creating package names with random capitalization (for example, cOOLPkgTest).

Avoid using articles (for example, “a,” “an,” and “the”) in the package name. For example, instead of TestTheService, use TestService.

Avoid using the prefix “Wm”. Developer uses the “Wm” prefix for predefined packages that contain services, IS document types, and other files.


2 In the New dialog box, select Package, and then click Next.

Developer displays the New Package dialog box.

3 In the Name field, type the name for the new package using any combination of letters, numbers, and the underscore character. Click Finish.

Developer refreshes the Navigation panel and displays the new package.

To create a package

Package Management


Viewing Detai ls for a Package Double-clicking a package in the Navigation panel expands or collapses the contents of that package. To view details for a package in the editor, perform the steps in the following procedure.

1 Select the packages whose details you want to view.


For more information about package details, see “Assigning a Version Number to a Package” on page 81, “Viewing the Patch History for a Package” on page 82, and “Identifying Package Dependencies” on page 84.

Copying a Package to Another Server You can copy a package to another Integration Server in one of two ways:

From Developer. You can copy a package and its contents to another Integration Server from within Developer by performing a copy or a drag-and-drop action. Copying packages using either of these methods provides a quick way to share a set of services and their supporting files with other developers in a development environment.

From Integration Server Administrator. You can also copy a package from within the Integration Server Administrator by replicating the package. You can then send, or publish, the package to other Integration Servers. Copying packages using this method allows you to customize the way in which packages are replicated and

Note: Avoid using control characters and special characters like periods (.) in a package name. The watt.server.illegalNSChars setting in the server.cnf file (which is located in the webMethods6\IntegrationServer\config directory) defines all the characters that you cannot use when naming packages. Additionally, the operating system on which you run the Integration Server might have specific requirements that limit package names.

Tip! You can quickly create a package beneath the server you are currently working with by clicking next to the New button on the toolbar and then clicking Package. Type the name of the package and then click OK.

You can then create a folder beneath the package by clicking next to the New button and then clicking Folder. Developer adds the folder beneath the package, with a default name of Untitled.

To view details for a package



published. This method is useful for managing releases between development and production environments, for deploying releases to partners or customers, or for distributing package updates to developers working in large, collaborative environments.

For information about replicating packages and managing releases from within Integration Server Administrator, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

When copying packages, keep the following points in mind.

You can copy a package to a different server only if you are a member of a group assigned to the Replicators ACL on the source and destination servers and you are logged on to both servers.

Before you copy a package that contains elements with unsaved changes, you must save the changes.

You cannot undo a copy action using the Edit Undo command.

You cannot copy a package to another server if the destination server already contains a package with that name.

If you copy a package that depends on other packages to load (that is, contains package dependencies), and the required packages are not present on the destination server, the package will be copied but it will not be enabled.

For more information about setting package dependencies, see “Identifying Package Dependencies” on page 84.

For more information about copying elements within a package, see Chapter 2, “Managing Elements in the Navigation Panel”.

1 Select the package that you want to copy.

2 On the Edit menu, click Copy.

3 If the package you want to copy contains elements with unsaved changes, Developer alerts you that the package cannot be copied until you save the changes. Click OK to close the alert dialog box. Then, save the changes and repeat the copy action.

4 Select the server where you want to copy the package.

Note: Because UNIX directories are case sensitive, Integration Servers running in a UNIX environment will allow packages with similar names to reside on the same server. For example, you can copy a package named orderProcessing to a server that contains a package named OrderProcessing.

To copy a package

Package Management


5 On the Edit menu, click Paste After.

Documenting a PackageYou can communicate the purpose and function of a package and its services to other developers by documenting the package.

1 Document the package in one or more Web documents (such as HTML pages). Be sure to name the home page for the package documentation index.html. The index.html file can contain links to the other Web documents for the package. An index.html file exists for each package installed by the Integration Server.

2 Place the documents in the pub subdirectory for the package on the Integration Server.

For example, place the package documentation for a package named “PurchaseOrders” in the following directory: webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\PurchaseOrders\pub

Enter the URL for the package documentation. The URLs for package documentation have the following format:

http://serverName:port/PackageName/DocumentName

where:

Tip! You can also copy packages by clicking them and dragging them to their new location. Developer retains a copy of the package and its contents on the source server.

To create documentation for a package

Tip! An alternate location for package documentation is the webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\doc directory. Typically, this directory is used for reference material such as PDFs that do not need to be published to the Web.

To access documentation for a package

serverName:port is the name and port address of the Integration Server on which the package resides.

PackageName is the name of the package for which you want documentation.

DocumentName is the name of the Web document you want to access. If you do not specify a DocumentName, the Integration Server automatically displays the index.html file.



Reloading a PackageSometimes, you need to reload a package on the server to activate changes that have been made to it outside of Developer. You need to reload a package if any of the following occurs:

A Java service that was compiled using jcode is added to the package.

New jar files are added to the package.

Any of the configuration files for the package are modified.

1 In the Navigation panel, select the package you want to reload.

2 On the File menu, click Reload Package.

Deleting a PackageWhen you no longer need the services and files in a package, you can delete the package. Deleting a package removes the package and all of its contents from the Navigation panel.

When you delete a package from Developer, the Integration Server saves a copy of the package. If you later want to recover the package and its contents, contact your server administrator. Only Integration Server Administrator users can recover a package. For more information about recovering packages, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

Before you delete a package, make sure that:

Other users or other services do not use (depend on) the services, templates, IS document types, and schemas in the package. You can use the Find Dependents command to identify other services that are dependent on a service in a package that you want to delete. For more information, see “Finding Dependents and References” on page 63.

All elements in the package that you want to delete are unlocked, or locked by you. If the package contains elements that are locked by others or system locked, you cannot delete the package.

Note: Reloading a package is not the same as refreshing the Navigation panel. When you refresh the Navigation panel, webMethods Developer retrieves a fresh copy of the contents of all the packages from the memory the Integration Server. When you reload a package, the Integration Server removes the existing package information from memory and loads new versions of the package and its contents into its memory.

To reload a package

Package Management


1 In the Navigation panel, select the package you want to delete.


Export ing a Package or ElementPackages or parts of a package, such as a folder, can be exported to your hard drive so that they can be shared with partners or developers. You can install an exported package on another server by using the package publishing functionality in the Integration Server Administrator. Locking information is not exported.

1 In the Navigation panel, select the package you want to export.

2 On the File menu, click Export. Developer displays the Export To dialog box.

3 Select the location on your hard drive where you want the exported package to reside. Click Save.

This exports the package to a ZIP file and saves it on your hard drive. The ZIP file can then be published on another server.

1 In the Navigation panel, select the folder or element that you want to export.

2 On the File menu, click Export. Developer displays the Export To dialog box.

3 Select the location on your hard drive where you want the exported partial package to reside. Click Save.

This exports the folder or element to a ZIP file and saves it on your hard drive. The ZIP file can then be unzipped into the ns directory of a package on the server.

Assigning a Version Number to a PackageYou can assign a version number to a package to identify different versions of the package. For example, you might want to assign a new version number to a package when you add new services to the package or after you fix bugs in a package. You might find assigning version numbers especially helpful if you work in a development environment where more than one person makes changes to a package.

By default, Developer assigns the version number 1.0 to each package that you create.

To delete a package

To export a package

To export an element



1 In the Navigation panel, select the package to which you want to assign a version number.


3 In the editor, click the package’s Settings tab.

4 In the Package Version field, type the version number you want to assign to the package. Be sure to format the version number in one of the following ways: X.X or X.X.X (for example, 1.0, 2.1, 2.1.3, or 3.1.2).

5 On the File menu, click Save to save your changes.

If the version number you entered does not use one of the formats specified in step 4, Developer displays a message stating that the format is not correct.

Viewing the Patch History for a Package For each package, Developer tracks and displays the history of installed patches. A patch is a partial upgrade, change, or fix to the contents of a package.

You might want to check a package’s patch history for the following reasons:

To avoid overwriting the installed package with a lower version of the same package.

To view the changes that are included in each version of the package.

To inform webMethods Customer Care which versions of predefined packages are installed on your Integration Server.

Important! When you change the version number of a package, make sure that you update the package dependencies for other packages that depend on the earlier version of this package.

Tip! Assign and change package version numbers through Developer only when the packages are in a development stage. To avoid difficulties installing package releases, do not change version numbers on packages you receive from trading partners, packages to which you subscribe, or packages installed with the Integration Server.

To assign a version number to a package

Note: You can also use the Integration Server Administrator to assign version numbers to packages. For more information, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

Package Management


When you open a package in the editor, the package’s Settings tab displays the patch history since the last full release of the package. (A full release of a package incorporates all previous patches for the package.)

The Settings tab displays patch history for the package

1 In the Navigation panel, select the package for which you want to view a patch history.


3 In the editor, click the package’s Settings tab and review the fields under Patch history.

...and these fields trackthe patch history for the

package.

These fields displayinformation about the

currently installed patch...

Note: With the exception of the Package version field and the fields under Package dependencies, the fields on the Settings tab are display-only.

Note: When the server administrator installs a full release of a package (a release that includes all previous patches for the package), the Integration Server removes the existing patch history. This helps the server administrator avoid potential confusion about version numbers and re-establish a baseline for package version numbers.

To view patch history for a package



Identifying Package DependenciesIf a package needs the services in another package to load before it can load, you must set up package dependencies. For example, you should identify package dependencies if a startup service for a package invokes a service in another package. The startup service cannot execute if the package containing the invoked service has not yet loaded.

You should also identify package dependencies if Java services in a package need to access Java classes contained in another package.

When you identify a package dependency, you must indicate the version number of the package that needs to load first. For example, the “Finance” package might depend on version 2.0 of the “FinanceUtil” package. It is possible that the services and elements needed by a dependent package are contained in more than one version of the same package. For example, the “Finance” package might depend on version 2.0 or later of the “FinanceUtil” package.\

This field... Specifies...

Name The name of the package.

Version The version number of the package. A user assigns a version number when they create a package release. By default, Developer assigns version 1.0 to a new package.

Build The build number of the package. The build number is a generation number that a user assigns to a package each time the package is released. For example, a user might release version 1.0 of the “Finance” package ten times and assign build numbers 1,2,3…10 to the different releases or builds of the package.

The Build number is not the same as the Version number. One version of a package might have multiple builds.

Description A brief description of the package written by the user who created the package release.

Time The time at which the package release (patch) was created.

JVM Number The version of the JVM (Java virtual machine) required to run the package.

Publisher The name of the publishing server that created the package release.

Patch Number The patch numbers included in this release of the package.

Important! If you create new adapter services and adapter notifications, you should save them in packages that identify the webMethods AdapterName package as a package dependency.

Package Management


1 In the Navigation panel, select the package for which you want to specify package dependencies.



4 Under Package Dependencies, click .

5 In the Enter Input Values dialog box, enter the following information:

6 Click OK.

7 On the File menu, click Save.

Important! Other webMethods components might include packages that register new types of elements in Developer. You should save instances of these new element types in packages that list the registering package as a package dependency. The registering package needs to load before your packages so that Developer can recognize instances of the new element type. For example, if you create new flat file schemas, you should save the flat file schemas in packages that identify the WmFlatFile package as a package dependency.

To identify package dependencies for a package


Package The name of the package you want Integration Server to load before the package selected in the Navigation panel.

Version The version number you want Integration Server to load before the package selected in the Navigation panel.

More than one version of the same package might contain the services and elements that a dependent package needs the Integration Server to load first. You can use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard in the version number to indicate that any version number greater than or equal to the specified version will satisfy the package dependency. For example, to specify version 3.0 or later of a package, type 3.* for the version number. To specify versions 3.1 or later, type 3.1.* for the version number.

If any version of the package satisfies the package dependency, type *.* as the version number.



Removing Package DependenciesUse the following procedure to remove a package dependency that is no longer needed. For example, to continue the example from page 84, if you delete the service in “Finance” that invokes the service in “FinanceUtil,” then you would no longer need a package dependency on the “FinanceUtil” package. Another case where you would remove the package dependency is if you move the services in the “FinanceUtil” package into the “Finance” package.

1 In the Navigation panel, select the package for which you want to remove a package dependency.



4 Under Package Dependencies, select the package dependency you want to remove.

5 Click .


Important! Only one version of a package can be installed at one time. If the available version of the package specified in the package dependency is not the correct version, the Integration Server does not load the dependent package. The Integration Server writes a dependency load error for the dependent package to the server log.

Important! Make sure that you do not create circular package dependencies. For example, if you identify “FinanceUtil” as a dependent package for the “Finance” package, do not identify “Finance” as a dependent package for the “FinanceUtil” package. If you create circular package dependencies, neither package will load the next time you start the Integration Server.

To remove a package dependency

Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Replication Services


Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Repl icat ion ServicesYou can set up services to automatically execute each time Integration Server loads, unloads, or replicates a package. These types of services are called startup, shutdown, or replication services.

What Is a Startup Service?A startup service is one that Integration Server automatically executes when it loads a package into memory. The server loads a package:

At server initialization (if the package is enabled).

When someone uses Developer or the Integration Server Administrator to reload a package.

When someone uses Developer or the Integration Server Administrator to enable a package.

Startup services are useful for generating initialization files or assessing and preparing (for example, setting up or cleaning up) the environment before the server loads a package. However, you can use a startup service for any purpose.

What Is a Shutdown Service?A shutdown service is one that the Integration Server automatically executes when it unloads a package from memory. The server unloads a package from memory:

At server shutdown or restart.

When someone uses the Integration Server Administrator to disable the package.

When someone uses the Integration Server Administrator to reload a package before it is removed from memory.

Shutdown services are useful for executing clean-up tasks such as closing files and purging temporary data. You could also use them to capture work-in-progress or state information before a package unloads.

Tip! If a startup service invokes a service in another package, make sure to identify the other package as a package dependency for the package containing the startup service.



What Is a Replication Service?A replication service is one that Integration Server automatically executes when it prepares to replicate a package. A replication service executes when the Integration Server Administrator creates a package release (full release or patch) or creates a package archive.

Replication services provide a way for a package to persist state or configuration information so that these are available when the published package is activated on the remote server.

Guidelines for Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Replication ServicesKeep the following guidelines in mind when assigning startup, shutdown, and replication services to packages:

When you assign a startup or shutdown service to a package, you can only assign a service that resides in the same package. For example, a startup service for the “Finance” package must be located in the “Finance” package.

When you assign a replication service to a package, you can assign any service from any loaded package on Integration Server, including the current package.

Because services in a package are not made available to clients until the package’s startup services finish executing, you should avoid implementing startup services that access busy remote servers. They will delay the availability of other services in that package.

You can assign one or more startup services to a package; however, you cannot specify the order in which the services execute. If you have a series of startup services that need to execute in a specific order, create a “wrapper” service that invokes all the startup services in the correct order. Designate the “wrapper” service as the startup service for the package.

Note: The term replication service does not refer to the services contained in pub.replicator or to services that subscribe to replication events (replication event services).

Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Replication Services


Assigning Startup, Shutdown, and Replication ServicesUse the following procedure to identify startup, shutdown, and replication services.

1 In the Navigation panel, select the package to which you want to assign startup, shutdown, or replication services.


3 In the editor, click the package’s Startup/Shutdown/Replication Services tab.

4 To assign a startup service, under Startup services, select the service from the Available Services list, and click . Repeat this step for each service you want to add as a startup service for the package.

5 To add a shutdown service, under Shutdown services, select the service from the

Available Services list, and click . Repeat this step for each service you want to add as a shutdown service for the package.

6 To add a replication service, do the following:

a Under Replication Services, click .

b In the Enter Input Values dialog box, in the Service field, do one of the following:

Type the service name in the format: folderName:serviceName

Click to navigate to and select the service you want to use as a replication service.

c Click OK.

d Repeat these steps for each service you want to add as a replication service.

To assign startup, shutdown, and replication services

Note: A service that you just created does not appear in the Available Services list if you have not refreshed your session on the server since you created the service.



Removing Startup, Shutdown, and Replicat ion ServicesYou might need to remove a startup, shutdown, or replication service if the service is no longer needed, has been deleted, or has been incorporated into another service (such as a wrapper service).

1 In the Navigation panel, select the package for which you want to remove startup, shutdown, or replication services.


3 In the editor, click the package’s Startup/Shutdown/Replication Services tab.

4 Do one or more of the following:

To remove a startup service, under Startup services, select the service you want to

remove from Selected services list, and click .

To remove a shutdown service, under Shutdown services, select the service you

want to remove from the Selected services list, and click .

To remove a replication service, under Replication services, select the replication

service you want to remove and click .

Tip! If you remove a startup service that invoked a service in another package and the package was identified as a package dependency, make sure you remove the package dependency after you remove the startup service.

To remove startup, shutdown, and replication services


C H A P T E R 4Locking and Unlocking Elements

Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Locking Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Unlocking Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

C H A P T E R 4 L o c k i n g a n d U n l o c k i n g E l e m e n t s


Basic ConceptsIn webMethods Developer, you can manage changes to elements during development by locking them. This prevents two different users from editing an element at the same time. You can lock elements such as flow services, Java services, schemas, and specifications.

All elements in Developer’s Navigation panel are read-only until you lock them. You can edit an element only if you own the lock on the element. However, you can use and run a service regardless of its lock status, as long as you have Execute access to the service. For details, see Chapter 5, “Assigning and Managing Permissions”.

What Is a Lock?A lock on an element prevents another user from editing that element. There are two types of locks: user locks and system locks. When an element is locked by you, you have a user lock. The element is read-only to all other users on the Integration Server. Another user cannot edit the element until you unlock it.

When an element’s server-side files are marked read-only on the Integration Server, the element is system locked. A system lock denotes that the element’s corresponding server files (node.xml, for example) are read-only on the Integration Server. For example, the server administrator may have checked those files into a third-party source control application, which marked those files on the server as read-only. You cannot edit the element until the server administrator makes the element’s server-side files writable and you reload the package in which the element resides.

Elements are shown in the following ways in Developer:

How Do I Know Who Has an Element Locked?On every element in the Navigation panel, you can view the lock status by using the Lock Status command. This command provides information about the element such as the username of the person who owns the lock and when they locked it. If an element is system locked, you can also use the Lock Status command to obtain the names of the server

Element Status Can I edit? How do I gain rights to edit?

Not locked No Click File Lock for Edit.

Locked by you Yes N/A

Locked by another user No Contact the user to unlock.

Locked by the system No Contact the server administrator to unlock.

Locking Elements


files that are read-only on the server. For details, see “Viewing the Status of Locked Elements” on page 96 and “Viewing an Element’s Corresponding Server Files” on page 102.

When Do I Lock an Element?You lock an element when you want to make changes to the element. For details, see “Locking Elements” on page 93.

When Do I Unlock an Element?You unlock an element after making your changes and saving those changes to the server. It is important to unlock the elements you are done with so that other users on the server can access them. For details, see “Unlocking Elements” on page 98.

If you want to automatically unlock an element after saving it, you can enable a setting on the Options dialog box. For details, see “Automatically Unlocking Elements After Saving” on page 102.

Locking ElementsBefore you edit an element, you must lock it. This ensures that you are the only person working on a particular element at a time, preventing the loss of changes. Elements can only be locked by one user at a time. If the element you need is already locked, request that the current owner of the lock release it. If the element is system locked, request that the server administrator release it by making the corresponding server files writable.

Locking ElementsElements are locked by webMethods username (the name you use to log on to the Integration Server). Because of this, it is important that you use a distinct username to log on to the server. If you change usernames, you will be unable to edit or unlock items that you locked using your old username.

When locking elements, keep the following points in mind:

When you create a new element, it is locked automatically for you.

In order to lock an element, you must have Write access rights to it. For details, see Chapter 5, “Assigning and Managing Permissions”.

When you lock an element, Developer obtains and locks the latest version of the element that has been saved on the webMethods Integration Server.

Elements generated by a service (including an adapter service) are not locked automatically.



When you select multiple elements to lock, some elements in the selection may not be available to lock because they may be system locked, locked by another user, elements to which you do not have Write access, or elements that cannot directly be locked. Developer will notify you that these elements cannot be locked and will lock the rest.

When you lock an adapter notification, Developer also locks its associated publishable document type. You cannot directly lock the publishable document type associated with an adapter notification.

When you lock a folder or package, you only lock existing, unlocked elements within it. Other users can still create new elements in that folder or package.

When you lock a Java or C/C++ service, Developer locks all other Java or C/C++ services within the folder. For details, see “Locking Java and C/C++ Services” on page 94.

You cannot lock a listener or connection element.

1 In the Navigation panel, select the elements that you want to lock.

2 On the File menu, click Lock for Edit.

If the elements were successfully locked, a green check mark appears next to their icons in the Navigation panel. If one or more of the elements could not be locked (for example, if they are system locked, locked by another user, or elements to which you do not have Write access), Developer displays a dialog box listing them. For information about troubleshooting lock problems, see “Lock/Unlock Problems” on page 103.

Locking Java and C/C++ ServicesWhen you lock Java and C/C++ services, there are special considerations to keep in mind.

Locking and unlocking actions on Java and C/C++ services are folder-wide. All Java and C/C++ services in a folder share the same .java and .class files on the Integration Server.

Note: Users cannot create Java and C/C++ services in a folder or package while other users own the lock on the folder or package. These types of services require that all existing Java and C/C++ services in the folder are unlocked and the user has Write access to all Java and C/C++ services in the folder. For details, see “Locking Java and C/C++ Services” on page 94.

To lock elements

Tip! You can also lock an element that is open in the editor by right-clicking the element’s tab or title bar and then clicking Lock for Edit.

Locking Elements


These files, located in the \code subdirectory of a package, correspond to all services (except flow services) in a folder. Therefore, when you lock a Java/C service, all Java/C services in that folder are locked.

For example, if you lock a Java service in a folder A, all Java and C/C++ services in folder A are locked by you. Similarly, if another user has locked a Java service in folder B, you cannot add, edit, move, or delete any Java or C/C++ services in folder B.

Locking actions on Java and C/C++ services are ACL dependent. If you want to lock one or more Java or C/C++ services within a folder, you must have Write access to all Java and C/C++ services in that folder. This is because Java and C/C++ services within a folder share the same .java and .class files.

The jcode development environment operates independently of locking. If you use jcode to develop Java services, you do not have the locking functionality that is available in the Integration Server. When you use jcode, you may compile a service that is locked by another user, overwriting that user’s changes to the service. Therefore, if you use jcode, do not use the locking features in the Integration Server.

Before you save a Java or C/C++ service, multiple corresponding files must be writable on the server. A single Java or C/C++ service corresponds to the following files:

.java

.class

.ndf

.frag (may not be present)

Before you save a Java or C/C++ service, all of the preceding files must be writable. Therefore, make sure that all system locks are removed from those files before saving. If you use a third-party source control application, make sure that those files are open for editing in the source control application.

Locking TemplatesA template can be used with one or more services on the Integration Server. Currently, you cannot lock a template as an entity, only the service to which it is attached. Following are considerations for working with templates in a cooperative development environment.

To create or edit a template for a service, you must have the service locked.

The template for a service can change without your knowledge. Since a template can be attached to one or more services, keep in mind that a shared template can change without your knowledge. For example, if your template is attached to a service that another user locks and edits, that user can change your template.



System Locking ElementsIf you are a server administrator, you can system lock an element by making its corresponding server files read-only. If you do not know the names of the files that correspond to a particular element, use the Lock Status command. For details, see “Viewing an Element’s Corresponding Server Files” on page 102.

Typically, elements become system locked when you check them into a third-party source control application. Usually, a system lock is not reflected in webMethods Developer or the Integration Server Administrator until you reload the package in which the element resides.

Viewing the Status of Locked ElementsThe lock status of an element tells you if an element is available for locking, and if not, who owns the lock and when they locked it. You can view the status of a locked element to see who owns the lock or you can view a list of all elements for which you own the lock.

When viewing an element’s lock status, keep the following points in mind:

If the element has been system locked since you last reloaded the package, Developer will not show the system lock status in the Locking Status dialog box until you reload the package.

When another user unlocks an element, you must refresh the Navigation panel to reflect the updated status. Similarly, when the server administrator removes a system lock from an element, you must reload the package in which the element resides to reflect the updated status.

1 In the Navigation panel, select the element for which you want to view the status.

2 On the File menu, click Lock Status. The following dialog box appears if the element is locked by someone else. A similar dialog appears if the element is system locked or locked by you.

Important! Before you system lock an element, always verify that it is not locked by a user on the Integration Server. If an element becomes system locked while a user is editing it, the user will not know until he or she tries to save changes to the element. If this occurs, make the element’s corresponding files writable on the server. After this is done, the user can save his or her changes to the element.

To view lock status for an element

Locking Elements


Locking Status dialog box

On the Tools menu, click My Locked Elements. The My Locked Elements dialog box appears.

My Locked Elements dialog box

You can unlock individual elements from this dialog box by pressing the CTRL key as you click each element and then clicking Unlock. You can unlock all elements by clicking Unlock All. For more information about unlocking elements, see “Unlocking Elements” on page 98.

Copying, Moving, or Deleting Locked ElementsYou can copy a locked element to another folder or package. However, you cannot move, rename, or delete an element unless it is locked by you or unlocked.

To list all elements locked by you



Unlocking ElementsAfter you edit an element and save changes to the server, you should unlock it to make it available to other users. There are several ways to unlock elements, depending on whether you are a member of the Developers ACL or the Administrators ACL. If you are a developer, you can unlock elements in Developer. If you are an administrator, you can unlock elements in the Integration Server Administrator as well as in Developer.

Unlocking Elements Using DeveloperYou must explicitly unlock elements. Disconnecting from the server does not unlock your element(s), since your locks are maintained from session to session.

When unlocking elements, keep the following points in mind:

When you unlock a single Java or C service, Developer unlocks all other Java or C services within the folder. For details, see “Locking Java and C/C++ Services” on page 94.

If a Java or C service in a folder has unsaved changes, you will not be able to unlock other Java or C services within that folder. Save the changes and then unlock the services.

When you unlock an adapter notification, Developer also unlocks its associated publishable document type. You cannot directly unlock the publishable document type associated with an adapter notification.

You cannot unlock a listener or connection element..

1 In the Navigation panel, select the elements that you want to unlock.

2 On the File menu, click Unlock.

3 If the elements you want to unlock contain unsaved changes, Developer alerts you that the elements cannot be unlocked until you save the changes. Click OK to close the alert dialog box. Then, save the changes and repeat the unlock action.

4 If one of the elements you selected to unlock is a publishable document type associated with an adapter notification, and you did not also select the adapter notification, Developer alerts you that the elements cannot be unlocked. Click OK to close the alert dialog box. Then, reselect the elements (including the appropriate adapter notifications) and repeat the unlock action.

The Navigation panel refreshes and the green check mark next to the element disappears.

To unlock elements using Developer

Note: Be sure to save changes to the elements before you attempt to unlock them.

Unlocking Elements


Unlocking an Element Using the Integration Server Administrator

1 In the Integration Server Administrator, under Packages, click Management.

2 Click View Locked Elements. The following screen appears, showing all elements that have user locks and system locks.

Locked Elements screen

3 Click Unlock Elements. The following screen appears.

Tip! You can also unlock elements using the following techniques:

- To unlock an element that is open in the editor, right-click the element’s tab or title bar and then click Unlock.

- To unlock all elements to which you own the lock, use the Tools My Locked Elements command.

Important! Be cautious when you remove user locks to prevent a user from losing changes. If you unlock an element while a user is editing it, the user will not know until he or she tries to save changes to the element and the action fails. Always confirm with the user before removing his or her lock on an element.

To unlock an element using the Integration Server Administrator

“localhost” means the machine on which the server is running



Unlock Selected Elements screen

Locked by System. Lists elements whose corresponding files are marked read-only on the server file system. You cannot remove a system lock via the Server Administrator. On the server’s file system, you must make the element’s files writable and reload the package. For details, see “Unlocking a System Locked Element” on page 101.

Locked by Current User. Lists elements that are locked by you, the server administrator (or the username with which you logged on to the Integration Server Administrator). Before you unlock an item, make sure that you have saved all changes to the server.

Locked by Other Users. Lists elements that are locked by other users on the server. Before you remove a user’s lock, make sure that the user has saved all changes to the server. If not, the user will lose all changes that they made to the element since they last saved it to the server.

4 Select the elements that you want to unlock (after informing users if necessary) and click Unlock Selected Elements.

Developers using webMethods Developer should refresh their Navigation panel to update their view of the lock status of all elements.

Important! If you receive a “failed to unlock” message, it means that the server files for a locked element were deleted from the server. Use the Sync to Name Space command to update the Integration Server Administrator’s view of locked elements.

Unlocking Elements


Unlocking a System Locked ElementIf you are a server administrator, you can remove a system lock from an element using the server’s file system. After you remove the system lock, you must reload the package in which the element resides to reflect the element’s updated status. If you use Developer, you must refresh the Navigation panel (after the package is reloaded) to reflect the element’s updated status.

If you use a third-party source control application: Removing a system lock from an element may cause a conflict, since many source control applications make files read-only after they have been checked in to an archive. Verify that the file properties are appropriate in the source control application before you remove a system lock.

1 If you do not know the names of the server files that correspond to the element, use the Lock Status command in Developer. For details, see “Viewing an Element’s Corresponding Server Files” on page 102.

2 On the server’s file system, remove the read-only properties from the files that correspond to the element to make the files writable.

3 Reload the package on the Integration Server that contains the element. The updated status is reflected in the Integration Server Administrator. Refresh the Navigation panel in Developer to view the updated status.

To remove a system lock from an element

Important! If you accidentally applied a system lock to an element that was already locked by another user, remove the system lock but DO NOT have the user reload the package in webMethods Developer. (Reloading the package in Developer will discard their edits.) The user can then save the element without losing the changes he or she made to it while you had the element system-locked.



Viewing an Element’s Corresponding Server FilesYou can view the names of the server files associated with every webMethods element. This is convenient when an element is system locked and you need to convey the element’s file names to the server administrator.

1 In the Navigation panel, select the elements for which you want to view the server file names.

2 On the File menu, click Lock Status.

The following dialog box shows the server files associated with a flow service named ApplyCreditMemo. These server files are system locked (that is, they are not writable on the server).

Viewing server files for element ‘ApplyCreditMemo’

Automatically Unlocking Elements After SavingYou can choose to automatically unlock flow services, IS document types, and specifications after you save changes to them. This prevents you from forgetting to unlock them; however, it may not be the best option if you save periodically while editing an element.

1 On the Tools menu, click Options. The Options dialog box appears.

2 Click General.

3 Under Navigation Panel, select the Automatically unlock upon save check box.

4 Click OK.

To view server files for an element

Note: After a server administrator removes a system lock from an element, you must reload the package in which the element resides to reflect the unlocked status.

To

To automatically unlock flow services, IS document types, and specifications after saving

Troubleshooting


Troubleshoot ingThis section addresses common problems that may arise when implementing cooperative development with webMethods components.

Lock/Unlock ProblemsThe Lock for Edit and Unlock commands are disabled.Possible causes are:

The Integration Server to which you are connected may have the watt.server.ns.lockingMode property configured to “no locking” or “system locking only.” For details, contact your server administrator.

You have selected multiple elements to lock or unlock and your selection contains of one or more of the following:

A server

A folder or package and its contents

A package and any other element

An adapter notification record

When I try to lock an element, I get an exception message.The element may be locked by someone else, system-locked (marked read-only on the server), or you may not have Write access. Refresh the Navigation panel. If a lock is not shown but you still cannot lock the element, reload the package. In addition, make sure that you are a member of the ACL assigned for Write access to the element by checking the element’s Permissions property in the Properties panel.

I can’t unlock a Java or C service.If there is another Java or C service that is locked by another user or system locked in the same folder, then you cannot unlock any Java or C services in that folder. This is because those services share the same .java and .class files on the Integration Server.

I can’t unlock elements since I changed my username.You can only unlock elements that you have locked with your current username for the session. If you have changed usernames, log back in to the server with your old username and then unlock the elements.

If the administrator has deleted your username, contact him or her to unlock the elements on the server. You can assist the administrator by using the Lock Status command to identify the names of the system-locked files on the server that need to be unlocked.

Another user unlocked an element, but it still shows as locked in my Navigation panel.If it is a Java or C service, reload the package in the Navigation panel. If it is any other element, use the Refresh command to refresh the Navigation panel.



I receive an “element failed to unlock” message when I try to unlock elements in the Integration Server Administrator.This indicates that the server files for the locked element were deleted from the server. You need to update the Integration Server Administrator’s list of unlocked elements by clicking Sync to Name Space on the Unlock Selected Elements screen. The Sync to Name Space command runs automatically when the server is started or restarted.

Package Management ProblemsI can’t preserve locking information when I replicate and publish a package.This is expected behavior and is part of the feature’s design. You can, however, preserve system locks (read-only file attributes).

When I disable a package, it does not preserve locking information.This is expected behavior and prevents conflicts if another package with the same folder and element names gets installed.

Save ProblemsWhen I try to save an element that I have locked, I get an exception message.During the time that you had the lock, the element became system-locked, its ACL status changed, or a server administrator removed your lock and another user locked the element. If the exception message indicates that a file is read-only, then one or all of the files that pertain to that element on the server are system-locked. Contact your administrator to remove the system lock. After this is done, you can save the element and your changes will be incorporated.

If the exception message indicates that you cannot perform the action without ACL privileges, then the ACL assigned to the element has been changed to an ACL in which you are not an Allowed user. To preserve your changes to the element, contact your server administrator to:

1 Remove your lock on the element.

2 Lock the element.

3 Edit the ACL assigned for Write access to the element, to give you access.

4 Unlock the element.

You can then save your changes to the element.

When I try to save a template, I get an error message.The template file on the server is read-only. Contact your server administrator to make the file writable.

Frequently Asked Questions


Other ProblemsI can’t create a new Java or C service.Another Java or C service is locked in the folder in which you want to create the new service, or you do not have Write access to all Java or C services in the folder. All of them must be unlocked or locked by you and you must have Write access to add a new Java or C service to the same folder. See “Lock/Unlock Problems” on page 103.

I can’t delete a package.One of the elements in that package is system-locked (read-only) or locked by another user. Contact your administrator or contact the user who has the element locked in the package.

The webMethods Integration Server went down while I was locking or unlocking an element.The action may or may not have completed, depending on the exact moment at which the server ceased action. When the server is back up, restore your session and look at the current status of the element.

Frequent ly Asked Quest ionsWhat is the difference between a system-locked element and a read-only element?None. “System lock” is a term used to denote an element that has read-only files on the webMethods Integration Server. The server administrator or third-party source control administrator usually applies system locks to files (makes them read-only).

Can I select multiple elements to lock or unlock in the Navigation panel simultaneously?Yes, you can select multiple elements to lock or unlock in the Navigation panel, as long as your selection does not contain the following:

A server

A folder or package and its contents

A package and any other element

An adapter notification record

You can also lock or unlock all elements in a package or folder that have not been previously locked/unlocked by right-clicking the package or folder and selecting Lock for Edit (to lock) or Unlock (to unlock).

I only save elements after I’m completely done. Remembering to unlock elements after saving them is tedious. Is there a shortcut for this task?Yes. Use the Options command to view the Options dialog box. Click General, and then click the Automatically unlock upon save check box.

Where is the lock information stored (such as names of elements that are locked, when they were locked, etc.)?The information is stored in the webMethods Repository version 2. For information on the Repository, see the webMethods Integration Server Clustering Guide.



Should I archive derived files?Generally, you should not archive derived files such as the .class file that is generated when you compile a Java service.

What happens to the locks on elements when I replicate a package?Locking information is not preserved when you replicate and publish a package. This is expected behavior and is part of the feature’s design. You can, however, preserve system locks (read-only file attributes).

Important! It is not recommended that you use Cooperative Development functionality in a Remote Repository configuration. Locking information for elements could be inadvertently shared with another Integration Server sharing the Remote Repository. Also, if the Remote Repository Server goes down or a connection is lost, development will be stalled until the Remote Repository Server is back online. Use the local webMethods Repository while developing to eliminate these Cooperative Development problems.


C H A P T E R 5Assigning and Managing Permissions

Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Assigning ACLs to Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Viewing ACL Information on a Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

How ACLs Affect Other Developer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

C H A P T E R 5 A s s i g n i n g a n d M a n a g i n g P e r m i s s i o n s


Basic ConceptsIn addition to controlling access to elements on an individual user basis using locking, you can also control access by groups of users using access control lists (ACLs). Typically created by a system administrator, ACLs allow you to restrict access on a broader level. For example, if you have a production package and a development package on the webMethods Integration Server, you can restrict access to the production package to users in an Administrators ACL, and restrict access to the development package to users in a Developers ACL.

Within ACLs, you can also assign different levels of access, depending on the access that you want different groups of users to have. For example, you may want a “Tester” ACL to only have Read and Execute access to elements. Or, you may want a “Contractor” ACL that denies List access to sensitive packages on the webMethods Integration Server, so that contractors never see them in webMethods Developer.

What Is an ACL?An ACL controls access to packages, folders, and other elements (such as services, IS document types, and specifications) at the group level. An ACL identifies groups of users that are allowed to access an element (Allowed Groups) and/or groups that are not allowed to access an element (Denied Groups). When identifying Allowed Groups and Denied Groups, you select from groups that you have defined previously.

There are four different kinds of access: List, Read, Write, and Execute.

List controls whether a user sees the existence of an element and its metadata; that is, its input and output, settings, and ACL permissions. The element will be displayed on screens in the Developer and the Integration Server Administrator.

Read controls whether a user can view the source code and metadata of an element.

Write controls whether a user can update an element. This access also controls whether a user can lock, rename, or delete an element or assign an ACL to it.

Execute controls whether a user can execute a service.

For more details about these types of access, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

What Happens When a Client Runs a Service with ACLs?When a client requests that webMethods Integration Server invoke a service, the server checks the ACL assigned to the service. If the client is a member of an allowed group and is not a member of a denied group, the server executes the service. If the client is not a member of an allowed group, the server denies the request to invoke the service and stops executing.

Basic Concepts


By default, when a client requests a service, webMethods Integration Server checks only the ACL of the externally invoked service (the service requested directly by the client). The server does not check the ACLs of any of the internally invoked services (those services invoked by the externally invoked service). However, you can set up the security settings for a service so that webMethods Integration Server checks the ACL assigned to the service every time it is invoked, whether directly by a client or by another service. For details, see “The Permissions Properties” on page 112.

The following diagram illustrates the points at which ACL checking occurs when a client requests a service.

ACL checking when a client requests a service

Stage Description

1 The client (such as another application or a DSP) requests the Purch:SubmitPO service on the local webMethods Integration Server. webMethods Integration Server checks the ACL of the Purch:SubmitPO service (the externally invoked service). The server executes the service only if the client is invoking the service on the behalf of a user that is a member of an allowed group and is not a member of a denied group for the ACL assigned to the service.

2 The Purch:SubmitPO service invokes the Purch:LogPO service. Because the Purch:LogPO service is invoked by the externally invoked service and is located on the same server as the externally invoked service, webMethods Integration Server considers the Purch:LogPO service to be internally invoked. Consequently, the server does not check the ACL of the Purch:LogPO service before executing it.

Purch:SubmitPO

INVOKE Purch:LogPO

INVOKE Purch:CreditAuth

INVOKE Purch:SendPO

webMethods Integration Server

Purch:LogPO

Purch:CreditAuth

Purch:SendPO

Client 1

3

4

2

Purch:SubmitPO



Am I Required to Use ACLs?No. However, there are default ACL settings for elements shipped with the Integration Server and default settings for new elements that you create. For details on default ACLs, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

How Do I Create an ACL?You create ACLs using the Integration Server Administrator. For details, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

33 The Purch:SubmitPO service invokes the Purch:CreditAuth service. Like the Purch:LogPO service, webMethods Integration Server considers the Purch:CreditAuth service to be an internally invoked service. Consequently, the server does not check the ACL of the Purch:CreditAuth service before executing it.

4 The Purch:SubmitPO service invokes the Purch:SendPO service. Like the Purch:LogPO and Purch:CreditAuth services, webMethods Integration Server considers the Purch:SendPO service to be an internally invoked service. The server does not check the ACL of the Purch:SendPO service before executing it.

Stage Description

Note: If the security settings for the Purch:LogPO, Purch:CreditAuth, or Purch:SendPO services specify that ACL checking occurs every time the service is invoked (Enforce execute ACL option is set to Always), webMethods Integration Server would perform ACL checking when the externally invoked service (Purch:SubmitPO) invoked these services. For more information about requiring ACL checking, see “Assigning ACLs to Elements” on page 111.

Note: Any service that the Purch:SubmitPO flow service invokes could also be invoked directly by the client. For example, if the client directly invokes the Purch:SendPO service, the server checks the ACL of the Purch:SendPO service. If the client is invoking the service on the behalf of a user that is a member of an allowed group and not a member of a denied group, then the server executes the Purch:SendPO service.

Assigning ACLs to Elements


Assigning ACLs to ElementsYou can assign an ACL to a package, folder, services, and other elements in the Navigation panel. Assigning an ACL restricts or allows access to an element for a group of users. You can assign only one ACL per element.

You cannot assign an ACL to an element for List, Read, or Write access unless you are a member of that ACL. For example, if you want to allow DevTeam1 to edit the ProcessPO service, you must be a member of the DevTeam1 ACL. That is, your username must be a member of a group that is in the Allowed list of the DevTeam1 ACL.

1 Make sure that the ACL you want to assign exists on the Integration Server. If not, create the ACL in the Integration Server Administrator. For details, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

2 In the Navigation panel, click the package or folder to which you want to assign an ACL.


4 In the editor, click the title bar of the package or folder to give it the focus.

5 In the Permissions category of the Properties panel, select the ACLs that you want to assign for each level of access. For details, see “The Permissions Properties” on page 112.

6 Save the element. If an error message appears, check to make sure that you are a member of each ACL that you assigned to the element.

1 Make sure that the ACL you want to assign exists on the Integration Server. If not, create the ACL in the Integration Server Administrator. For details, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

2 Open the element to which you want to assign an ACL.

3 In the Permissions category of the Properties panel, select the ACLs that you want to assign for each level of access. For details, see “The Permissions Properties” on page 112.

To assign an ACL to a package or folder

Important! For List, Read, and Write access, you can only assign ACLs of which you are a member. If you cannot assign an ACL to an element for List, Read, or Write access, you probably are not a member of a user group in the Allowed list of that ACL. To verify, use the Tools ACL Information command. To obtain access to an ACL, contact your server administrator.

To

To assign an ACL to other elements in the Navigation panel



4 Save the element. If an error message appears, check to make sure that you are a member of each ACL that you assigned to the element.

The Permissions Properties You assign an ACL to an element in the Permissions category of the Properties panel. Depending on the element you select, certain access levels are displayed. For example, for a package, you can only set List access. For details about the different levels of access available for elements, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

The ACLs assigned to an element are mutually exclusive; that is, an element can have different ACLs assigned for each level of access. For example, the following element has the Developers ACL assigned for Read access and the Administrators ACL assigned for Write access.

Permissions properties for a flow service

Important! For List, Read, and Write access, you can only assign ACLs of which you are a member. If you cannot assign an ACL to an element for List, Read, or Write access, you probably are not a member of a user group in the Allowed list of that ACL. To verify, use the Tools ACL Information command. To obtain access to an ACL, contact your server administrator.

Field / Button Description

List ACL Users in the Allowed list of this assigned ACL can see that the element exists and view the element’s metadata (input, output, etc.).

Read ACL Users in the Allowed list of this assigned ACL can view the source code and metadata of the element.

Write ACL Users in the Allowed list of this assigned ACL can lock, edit, rename, and delete the element.

Execute ACL Users in the Allowed list of this assigned ACL can execute the service. This level of access only applies to services.

An element can have different ACLs assigned for each level of access.

Assigning ACLs to Elements


ACLs and InheritanceWhen you assign an ACL to a folder, it affects the subfolders and services in the folder. The subfolders and services that do not have an assigned ACL inherit the ACLs that you assign to the folder. (Subfolders and services with an assigned ACL are not affected by the ACL assigned to the folder.) When a subfolder or service inherits the ACL of a folder, “inherited” is displayed next to the ACL in the List, Read, Write, or Execute fields in the Permissions category of the Properties panel.

When you remove an ACL from a service or subfolder, the service or subfolder inherits the ACL assigned to the folder in which the service or subfolder is located. When you remove the ACL assigned to the top-level folder (the uppermost folder in a package), webMethods Integration Server applies the default ACL to the folder and its contents for which an ACL is not specified. (The default ACL restricts access to a service to any user with a valid username and password for the webMethods Integration Server.)

Enforce execute ACL

When top-level service only. The Integration Server performs ACL checking against the service when it is directly invoked from a client or DSP. For example, suppose a client invokes the OrderParts service on server A. After checking port access, server A checks the Execute ACL assigned to OrderParts to make sure the requesting user is allowed to run the service. It does not check the Execute ACL when other services invoke OrderParts.

Always. The Integration Server performs ACL checking against the service when it is directly invoked from a client as well as when it is invoked from other services. For example, suppose the OrderParts service is invoked from a browser, as well as by the ProcessOrder and AddToDatabase services. If Always is set on OrderParts, the server performs ACL checking on OrderParts three times (once when it is invoked from the browser and twice when it is invoked by ProcessOrder and AddToDatabase).

Field / Button Description

Note: You can view the users and groups that compose the ACLs on the Integration Server to which you are connected by using the Tools ACL Information command. This information is read only; to edit ACLs, users, and groups, use the Integration Server Administrator.



Default ACLs and InheritanceIf the element is a top-level folder, its default ACL is that specified by a configuration file, not by its parent (the package). If the element is a subfolder, it shares its default ACL settings with other folders at the same level in the folder hierarchy. For details about inheritance, as well as the default ACLs that are installed with the webMethods Integration Server, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

Viewing ACL Informat ion on a ServerYou can view the users and groups that make up the ACLs on a server by using the Tools ACL Information command. The ACL Information dialog box lists the ACLs contained on the Integration Server to which you are connected. This information is read only; to edit ACLs, users, and groups, use the Integration Server Administrator.

ACL Information dialog box for a Server

Note: An element can inherit access from all elements except a package.

The Default ACL...

...and allows access to members of all other groups.

...denies access to members of the Anonymous group...

How ACLs Affect Other Developer Features


How ACLs Affect Other Developer Features

ACLs and LockingAs explained previously, locking allows you to control access at the individual user level, while ACLs allow you to control access by groups of users. Following are guidelines to keep in mind as you use ACLs with locking:

To lock an element, you must be the member of the ACL that is assigned for Write access to that element.

To lock a Java or C service within a folder, you must be the member of the ACL that is assigned for Write access for all Java or C services in that folder. This is because locking and unlocking actions for Java/C services are at the folder level. For details, see the Chapter 4, “Locking and Unlocking Elements”.

To edit ACL permissions for an element, you must lock the element (except for packages and folders, which cannot be locked).

Field Description

ACLs The ACLs defined on the Integration Server to which you are connected. These include the default ACLs that were installed with the server.

User Group Association for ‘[ACL]’

Allowed. The user group(s) that have been explicitly allowed to access the packages, folders, services, or other elements associated with this ACL.

Denied. The user group(s) that have been explicitly denied access to the packages, folders, services, or other elements associated with this ACL.

Resulting Users for ‘[ACL]’

The names of users that the ACL authorizes, given the current settings in the Allowed and Denied lists. The server builds this list by looking at the groups to which each user belongs and comparing that to the groups to which the ACL allows or denies access. For details on how the server determines access, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.



ACLs and Test ing/Debugging ServicesKeep the following in mind when you test and debug services:

To step or trace through a top-level service, you must have Execute, Read, and List access to the service.

To step or trace through all the services within a top-level service, you must have Execute, List, and Read access to all services invoked by the top-level service. If you do not have access to services invoked by the top-level service, Developer “steps over” those services. (The Integration Server performs ACL checking for a child service when the Enforce execute ACL property for the service is set to Always.) Developer executes the top-level service and continues to the next flow step. Developer does not step into or trace into the top-level service.

To test a service by sending an XML file to a service, you must have Read access to the service.

To set a breakpoint in a service, you must have Read access to the service.

ACLs and Creating, Viewing, and Deleting ElementsKeep the following guidelines in mind when you create, view, or delete elements:

To create or paste an element, you must have Write access to its parent folder. If you are not a member of the ACL assigned for Write access to the folder, contact your server administrator.

To copy an element, you must have Read access to it and Write access to its parent folder.

To rename or delete an element, you must have Write access to it and its parent folder.

To copy a package, you must be a member of a group assigned to the Replicators ACL.

When you create a folder and assign an ACL to it, any elements that you create within that folder inherit its ACL, until you explicitly set the ACL to something else. For details about inheritance, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

You may not see all of the elements on the Integration Server in the Navigation panel because you may not have List access to all of them. You can only see those elements to which you have at least List access.

Troubleshooting


Troubleshoot ingI receive a “Cannot perform operation without Write ACL privileges” message when I try to create an element.You are not a member of the ACL assigned to the folder in which you want to save the element. To verify, check the Permissions category of the Properties panel. If you had previously been able to save the element, the ACL settings may have changed on the server since you last saved it. See “Troubleshooting” on page 103 in Chapter 4, “Locking and Unlocking Elements”.

I receive an “element already exists” message when I try to create an element.There may be an element with the same name on the Integration Server, but you may not be able to see it because you do not have List access to it. Try a different element name, or contact your server administrator.

I can’t assign an ACL to an element.Make sure that you have locked the element and that you are a member of the List, Read, or Write ACL that you want to assign. To verify, use the Tools ACL Information command.

I can’t see the source of a flow or Java service. However, I can see the input and output.You do not have Read access to the service. Contact your server administrator to obtain access.

I receive an exception when I try to lock an element.The element may be locked by someone else, system locked (marked read only on the server), or you may not have Write access. Refresh the Navigation panel. If a lock is not shown but you still cannot lock the element, reload the package. In addition, make sure that you are a member of the ACL assigned for Write access to the element. To do so, click the Permissions category of the Properties panel.

I receive an error when I run a command on the Test menu. You must have a minimum of Read access to trace or step through a service. If you don’t have Read access to the service when you are tracing, tracing into, stepping through, or stepping into a service, you will receive an error message.

If you do have Read access to a service but you do not have Read access to a service it invokes, Developer “steps over” the invoked service but does not display an error message.

You must also have Read access to a service to set a breakpoint in the service or send an XML document to the service.

I receive an exception when I try to go to a referenced service from the pipeline.You do not have List access to the referenced service. Contact your server administrator.

I receive a “Couldn’t find in Navigation panel” message when I try to find a service in the Navigation panel. However, I know it is on the Integration Server.If you do not see the service listed in the Navigation panel, you probably do not have List access to that service. Contact your server administrator.



I can’t copy and paste a Java service.Check to make sure that you have Write access to all Java services in the folder into which you want to paste the service, as well as Write access to the folder itself.


C H A P T E R 6Bui lding Flow Services

Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

A Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Creating a New Flow Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Declaring Input and Output Parameters for a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Assigning an Output Template to a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Specifying Run-Time Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Configuring Service Retry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Assigning Universal Names to Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Configuring Service Auditing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Printing a Flow Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

C H A P T E R 6 B u i l d i n g F l o w S e r v i c e s


Basic ConceptsTo successfully build a flow service, you should understand the following basic concepts and terms.

What Is a Flow Service?A flow service is a service that is written in the webMethods flow language. This simple yet powerful language lets you encapsulate a sequence of services within a single service and manage the flow of data among them. For example, you might create a flow service that takes a purchase order from a buyer and executes the following series of services before submitting it to an internal ordering system:

1 Gets a purchase order submitted by a buyer

2 Logs the order in an audit-trail file

3 Performs a credit check

4 Posts the order to the ordering system

Flow services encapsulate other services

Any service can be invoked within a flow (including other flow services). For instance, a flow might invoke a service that you create, any of the built-in services provided by webMethods, and/or services from a webMethods add-on product such as the webMethods JDBC Adapter.

You create flow services using Developer. They are saved in XML files on webMethods Integration Server.

Purch:SubmitPO

INVOKE Purch:GetOrders

INVOKE Purch:LogOrder


INVOKE Purch:PostPO

...which performs a sequenceof four services

1

3

4

2

Purch:SubmitPOClient application invokes Purch:SubmitPO...

Important! Although flow services are written as XML files, they are maintained in a format that can only be created and understood by Developer. You cannot create or edit a flow service with a text editor.

Basic Concepts


What Is a Flow Step?A flow service contains flow steps. A flow step is a basic unit of work (expressed in the webMethods flow language) that webMethods Integration Server interprets and executes at run time. The webMethods flow language provides flow steps that invoke services and flow steps that let you edit data in the pipeline.

webMethods’ flow language also provides a set of control steps that allow you to direct the execution of a flow service at run time. The control steps allow you to:

Conditionally execute a specified sequence based on a field value.

Retry a specified sequence until it succeeds.

Repeat a specified sequence (loop) for each element in an array field.

In the following flow service, control steps have been inserted to loop through a subset of the flow service and branch to one of two services in the last step of the loop.

Control steps are used to direct the execution of a flow

A flow service can contain the following types of flow steps:

Purch:SubmitPO

INVOKE Purch:PostPO

INVOKE Purch:BouncePO

INVOKE Purch:LogOrder


BRANCH AuthOK

LOOP PurchaseOrders

INVOKE Purch:GetOrders

Purch:SubmitPO

A BRANCH stepselects a specified flow

step for execution

A LOOP steprepeats a set of

flow steps

Invocation Steps

INVOKE Executes a specified service. For more information about this step, see “The INVOKE Step” on page 163.



See Appendix A, “webMethods Flow Steps” for a detailed description of each type of flow step provided by the webMethods flow language. For information about building each type of flow step, see Chapter 6, “Inserting Flow Steps”.

What Is the Pipeline?The pipeline is the general term used to refer to the data structure in which input and output values are maintained for a flow service. It allows services in the flow to share data.

The pipeline starts with the input to the flow service and collects inputs and outputs from subsequent services in the flow. When a service in the flow executes, it has access to all data in the pipeline at that point.

Data-Handling Steps

MAP Performs specified editing operations on the pipeline (such as mapping variables in the pipeline, adding variables to the pipeline, and dropping variables from the pipeline). For more information about this step, see “The MAP Step” on page 191.

Control Steps

BRANCH Executes a specified flow step based on the value of a specified variable in the pipeline. For more information about this step, see “The BRANCH Step” on page 166.

LOOP Executes a set of flow steps once for each element in a specified array. For more information about this step, see “The LOOP Step” on page 184.

REPEAT Re-executes a set of flow steps up to a specified number of times based on the successful or non-successful completion of the set. For more information about this step, see “The REPEAT Step” on page 177.

SEQUENCE Groups a set of flow steps into a series. The SEQUENCE step is implicit in most flow services (that is, the steps in a flow service are treated as a series). However, at times it is necessary to explicitly group a subset of flow steps using SEQUENCE so that they can be treated as a unit. For more information about this flow step, see “The SEQUENCE Step” on page 183.

EXIT Controls the execution of a flow step (for example, abort an entire flow service from within a series of deeply nested steps, throw an exception without writing a Java service, or exit a LOOP or REPEAT without throwing an exception). For more information about this step, see “The EXIT Step” on page 188.

Basic Concepts


The pipeline holds the input and output for a flow service

When you build a flow service, you use Developer to specify how information in the pipeline is mapped to and from services in the flow.

What Are Input and Output Parameters?Input and output parameters are the names and types of fields that the service requires as input and generates as output. For example, a service that takes two string values—an account number (AcctNum) and a dollar amount (OrderTotal)—as input and produces an authorization code (AuthCode) as output, has the following input and output parameters:

Input and output parameters define the fields that the service requires as input and generates as output

INVOKE Purch:LogPO


INVOKE Purch:SendPO

Flow Service The Pipeline

Total:5732.78

ONum:46-77135

Name:Kings Sport

Phone:201-887-1544

TNum:128824993554

Acct:128824993554

AuthNum:TW99123554

Qty:20

Date:04/04/99

Item:PK8801-NS

OrderDate:19990404

Ship:UPS Ground

Terms:30N

Freight:65.00

Status:Received

INVOKE Purch:ConvertDate

output

output

output

output

input

input

input

input

Services in a flow get their input fromand place their output in the pipeline.

Input OutputName Data Type Name Data TypeAcctNum String AuthCode StringOrderTotal String



Part of the process of creating a service is declaring its input and output parameters (that is, explicitly specifying the fields it expects as input and produces as output).

A Process OverviewBuilding a flow service is a process that involves the following basic stages:

The remaining sections in this chapter and the following chapters provide detailed information about each stage.

Creating a new service on webMethods Integration Server. During this stage, you create the new service on the webMethods Integration Server where you will do your development and testing. For information about this stage, see “Creating a New Flow Service” which follows.Inserting flow steps into the new service. During this stage, you specify the work that you want the service to perform by adding flow steps to the service. For information about this stage, see Chapter 6, “Inserting Flow Steps”.Declaring the input and output parameters of the service. During this stage, you define the service’s inputs and outputs. For information about this stage, see “Declaring Input and Output Parameters for a Service” on page 126.Mapping pipeline data. During this stage, you route input and output variables between services that are invoked in the flow. For information about this stage, see Chapter 8, “Mapping Data in a Flow Service”.Specifying the run-time parameters. During this stage, you assign parameters that configure the run-time environment for this service. For information about this stage, see “Specifying Run-Time Parameters” on page 134.Formatting service output. During this stage you can create an output template to format the service output. For information about this stage, see “Assigning an Output Template to a Service” on page 132 or refer to the Dynamic Server Pages and Output Templates Developer’s Guide.Testing and debugging. During this stage you can use the tools provided by Developer to test and debug your flow service. For information about this stage, see Chapter 11, “Testing and Debugging Services”.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Creating a New Flow Service


Creat ing a New Flow ServiceThe first step you take when you build a flow service is to create a new service on the webMethods Integration Server where you do your development.

Package and Folder RequirementsBefore you create a new flow service, you must:

Make sure the package in which you want to create the flow service already exists. If the package does not already exist, create it using Developer. For more information about creating a package, see “Creating a Package” on page 76.

Make sure the folder in which you want to create the service already exists and that you have Write ACL access to it. If the folder does not already exist, create it using Developer. For information about creating folders, see “Creating New Elements” on page 45. For information about ACL permissions, see Chapter 5, “Assigning and Managing Permissions”.

Once the package and folder are in place, you use the File New command to start the process of creating a new service. For more information, see “Creating New Elements” on page 45.

Using the Default Logic OptionsThe wizard that creates a new flow service gives you the option of starting with an empty flow (one that contains no predefined flow steps) or starting with a service that contains a set of default logic for extracting information from an HTML or XML document (a common flow-service function).

If you are building a flow service that extracts data from an HTML or XML document, you can select an option to automatically generate the logic (that is, the set of flow steps) that will get data from a specified document, rather than building this logic manually.

Use this option... To...

Empty Flow Generate a flow service that does not have any logic.

Load and Query an HTML Page

Automatically generate a flow service that invokes the loadXMLNode service (which gets a document from a URL that you specify) and the queryXMLNode service (which extracts a specified set of elements from the document returned by loadXMLNode).

For additional information about the loadXMLNode and queryXMLNode services, see the XML Services Developer’s Guide.



Insert ing Flow StepsFlow steps call previously built services and direct the flow of data within a flow service. You can insert flow steps into a flow service using the buttons at the top of the editor. For more information, see Chapter 7, “Inserting Flow Steps”.

Declar ing Input and Output Parameters for a ServiceInput and output parameters are the names and data types of the fields that a service expects as input and generates as output. Some systems refer to input and output parameters as “imports” and “exports.” These parameters are also collectively referred to as a signature.

Receive an XML Document

Automatically generate a service that receives an XML node as input. If you specify the format by providing a DTD or XML Schema definition, webMethods Developer maps the incoming document to its corresponding IS document type structure.

Use this option... To...

Important! The flow steps produced by these options are no different than those produced by manually inserting INVOKE loadXMLNode and INVOKE queryXMLNode steps in a flow service. After Developer inserts the set of default steps into your flow service, you can edit the default steps and insert additional steps just as you would any ordinary flow service.

To insert a/an... Click this button...

INVOKE step

MAP step

BRANCH step

LOOP step

REPEAT step

SEQUENCE step

EXIT step

Declaring Input and Output Parameters for a Service


You declare input and output parameters for all types of services: flow services, Java services, and services written in other supported programming languages.

Although you are not required to declare input and output parameters for a service (the Integration Server will execute a service regardless of whether it has a specification or not), there are good reasons to do so:

Declaring parameters makes the service’s input and outputs visible to Developer. Without declared input and output parameters, you cannot:

Link data to and/or from the service using Developer’s Pipeline tab.

Assign default input values to the service on the Pipeline tab.

Validate the input and output values of the service at run time.

Test the service in Developer and enter initial input values.

Generate skeleton code for invoking the service from a client.

Declaring parameters makes the input and output requirements of your service known to other developers who may want to call your service from their programs.

For these reasons, we strongly recommend that you make it a practice to declare input and output parameters for every service that you create.

Supported Data TypeswebMethods Developer supports several data types for use in services. Each data type supported by Developer corresponds to a Java data type and has an associated icon. When working in the editor, you can determine the data type for a field by looking at the icon next to the field name.

For information about these data types and the editor icons that represent them, see Appendix C, “Supported Data Types”.

Specifying Input ParametersWhen you define the input parameters for a flow service, keep the following points in mind:

Specify all inputs that a calling program must supply to this flow service. For example, if a flow service invokes two other services, one that takes a field called AcctNum and another that takes OrderNum, you must define both AcctNum and OrderNum as input parameters for the flow service.



When possible, use variable names that match the names used by the services in the flow. Variables with the same name are automatically linked to one another in the pipeline. (Remember that variable names are case sensitive.) If you use the same variable names used by flow’s constituent services, you reduce the amount of manual data mapping that needs to be done. When you specify names that do not match the ones used by the constituent services, you must use the Pipeline tab to manually link them to one another. For information about the Pipeline tab, see “What Does the Pipeline Tab Contain?” on page 194.

Avoid using multiple inputs that have the same name. Although Developer permits you to declare multiple input parameters with the same name, the fields may not be processed correctly within the service or by services that invoke this service.

Make sure the variables match the data types of the variables they represent in the flow. For example, if a service in the flow expects a document list called LineItems, define that input variable as a document list. Or, if a service expects a Date object called EmploymentDate, define that input variable as an Object and apply the java.util.Date object constraint to it. For a complete description of the data types supported by Developer, see Appendix C, “Supported Data Types”.

Declared input variables appear automatically as inputs in the pipeline. When you select the first service or MAP step in the flow, the declared inputs appear under Pipeline In.

Note: The purpose of declaring input parameters is to define the inputs that a calling program or client must provide when it invokes this flow service. You do not need to declare inputs that are obtained from within the flow itself. For example, if the input for one service in the flow is derived from the output of another service in the flow, you do not need to declare that field as an input parameter.

Important! If you edit a cached service by changing the inputs (not the pipeline), you must reset the server cache. If you do not reset it, the old cached input parameters will be used at run time. To reset the service cache from Developer, select the service and then click the Reset button next to Reset Cache in the Properties panel. To reset the service cache from Integration Server Administrator, select Service Usage under Server in the Navigation panel. Select the name of the service and an information screen for that service appears. Click Reset Server Cache.

Note: If you intend to use this service in a trigger to process published documents, the input signature for this service needs to contain a document reference to the publishable document type. The name for this document reference must be the fully qualified name of the publishable document type (for example, folder.subfolder:PublishableDocumentTypeName). You can copy and paste the fully qualified document type name from the Navigation panel to the document reference field on the Input/Output tab. For more information about creating triggers and publishable document types, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.



Specifying Output ParametersOn the output side of the Input/Output tab you specify the variables that you want the flow to return to the calling program or client. The guidelines for defining the output parameters are similar to those for defining input parameters:

Specify all of the output variables that you want this flow service to return to the calling program or client.

Make sure the names of output variables match the names used by the services that produce them. Like input variables, if you do not specify names that match the ones produced by the flow’s constituent services, you must use the Pipeline tab to manually link them to one another. For information about the Pipeline tab, see “What Does the Pipeline Tab Contain?” on page 194.

Avoid using multiple outputs that have the same name. Although Developer permits you to declare multiple output parameters with the same name, the fields may not be processed correctly within the service or by services that invoke this service.

Make sure the variables match the data types of the variables they represent in the flow. For example, if a service produces a String called AuthorizationCode, make sure you define that variable as a String. Or, if a service produces a Long object called EmployeeID, define that output variable as an Object and apply the java.lang.Long object constraint to it. For a complete description of the data types supported by a service, see Appendix C, “Supported Data Types”.

Declared output variables appear automatically as outputs in the pipeline. When you select the last service or MAP step in a flow, the declared output variables appear under Pipeline Out.

Completing the Input/Output TabYou declare the input and output parameters for a service using the Input/Output tab. On the left side of this tab, you define the variables that the service requires as input. On the right side, you define the variables the service returns to the client or calling program.



Input/Output tab

For a flow service, the input side describes the initial contents of the pipeline. In other words, it specifies the variables that this flow service expects to find in the pipeline at run time. The output side identifies the variables produced by the flow service and returned to the pipeline.

You can complete the Input/Output tab in the following ways:

Reference a specification. A specification defines a set of service inputs and outputs. You can use a specification to define input and output parameters for multiple services. When you assign a specification to a service, you cannot add, delete, or modify the declared variables using the service’s Input/Output tab.

Reference an IS document type. You can use an IS document type to define the input or output parameters for a service. When you assign an IS document type to the Input or Output side of the Input/Output tab, you cannot add, modify, or delete the variables on that half of the tab.

You insert a reference to an IS document type in one of three ways:

By typing the fully qualified name of the IS document type in the Input or Output field

By clicking to select an IS document type from a list

By dragging an IS document type on the same server from the Navigation panel to the box below the Validate input or Validate output check boxes

With the first two methods, the variables within the IS document type become the input or output signature for the service. You cannot add, modify, or delete the variables on that half of the tab. With the third method, the IS document type reference becomes the top-level document in the signature. You cannot modify or delete the variables that are contained within the referenced IS document type but you can add other variables to that half of the tab.

Define the flowservice’s input

parameterson this side...

...and output parameters on this side.



Manually insert input and output variables. Use to specify the data type and name for each input and output variable for the service.

1 Open the service for which you want to declare input and output parameters.

2 In the editor, click the Input/Output tab for that service.

3 If you want to reference a specification, do the following:

a In the Specification Reference field, type the specification’s name or click to select it from a list. For more information about creating specifications, see “Declaring Input and Output Parameters for a Service” on page 126.

b Skip the rest of this procedure.

4 If you want to reference an IS document type for the input or output parameters of the service, do the following:

a In the Input or Output field (depending on which half of the specification you want to assign the IS document type to), type the IS document type name or click to select it from a list. You can also drag an IS document type from the Navigation panel to the box below the Validate input or Validate output check boxes.

b If you assigned an IS document type to both the Input and Output sides of the Input/Output tab, skip the rest of this procedure. Otherwise, continue to the next step to specify the variables in the other half of the tab.

5 For each input or output variable that you want to define, do the following:

a Select the half of the Input/Output tab (Input or Output) where you want to define the variable by clicking anywhere in that half’s large white text box.

b Click on the toolbar and select the type of variable that you want to define.

c Type the name of the variable and press ENTER.

To declare input and output parameters for a service

Important! When a specification is assigned to a service, you cannot add, delete, or modify the declared variables using the service’s Input/Output tab.

Important! When an IS document type is assigned to the Input or Output side, you cannot add, delete, or modify the declared variables on that half of the Input/Output tab.



d With the variable selected, set variable properties and apply constraints in the Properties panel (optional).

e If the variable is a document or a document list, repeat steps b–d to define and set

the properties and constraints for each of its members. Use to indent each member beneath the document or document list variable.

6 If you want to enter any notes or comments about the input and output parameters, type your comments on the Comments tab.

Assigning an Output Template to a ServiceAn output template is a Web document, such as an HTML page, embedded with special codes (tags) that webMethods Integration Server processes. These tags instruct webMethods Integration Server to perform a specific action and substitute the result of that action in the Web document. Typically, you use tags in output templates to insert service output values in Web documents returned to clients.

Output templates are used most frequently to customize the HTML page that a service returns to a browser-based application. However, they can also be used to generate an XML document or any other formatted string. For example, you may have a service that retrieves a record from a relational database and uses an output template to format it as an XML document or a comma-delimited record before returning it to the requester.

When using output templates, keep in mind that:

A service can have at most one output template assigned to it at a time (you can dynamically change the output template assignment at run time, however).

You can assign the same output template to more than one service.

If you assign an existing output template to a service, the output template must reside in the webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\packageName\templates directory, where packageName is the package in which the service is located.

You can reference one output template from within another.

You can specify the encoding in which to save the template (for example, SJIS, a type of Japanese encoding). The Integration Server is optimized for the UTF-8 encoding. You should not change this setting unless you are sure that you want to use another encoding.

Note: Output templates are optional. If a service has an output template assigned to it, the server automatically applies the template to the results of the service (that is, the contents of the pipeline) whenever that service is invoked by an HTTP client. If a service does not have an output template, the server simply returns the results of the service in the body of an HTML document, formatted as a two-column table.

Assigning an Output Template to a Service


1 Open the service to which you want to assign an output template.

2 In the editor, click the service’s title bar to give the service the focus.

3 In the Output template category of the Properties panel, do one of the following to update the Name field:

If you want to assign a new output template to the service, type the name of the new output template or accept the system default output template name of FolderName_ServiceName.

If you want to assign an existing output template to the service, type the file name of the existing output template. You do not need to include the path information or the file name extension.

4 In the Type list, do one of the following to specify the format for the output template:


If you assigned a new output template to the service, click New to create the output template.

If you assigned an existing output template to the service and you want to edit the template, click Edit.

Select the encoding used to create the template file and click OK. (By default, Developer uses UTF-8 to create output template files.)

To assign an output template to a service

Important! Make sure the existing output template resides in the webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\packageName\templates directory, where packageName is the same package in which the service is located.

To... Select...

Assign an HTML output template to the service html

Assign an XML output template to the service xml

Assign a WML output template to the service wml

Assign an HDML output template to the service hdml

Note: The Type you select determines the extension for the output template file (*.html, *.xml, *.wml, or *.hdml). In cases where the output is returned to a Web browser, the Type also determines the value of the HTTP “Content-Type” header field (for example, “text/html,” “text/xml,” “text/vnd.wap.wml,” or “text/x-hdml“).



6 In the template dialog box, create or edit the output template by typing HTML, XML, WML, or HDML content, and/or by inserting template tags. For more information about creating an output template, see the Dynamic Server Pages and Output Templates Developer’s Guide.

7 In the File Encoding list, select the encoding in which you want the template file saved. The encoding is used by the Integration Server to send the template to the browser and to interpret data posted in the resulting page in the browser.

The default encoding is Unicode (UTF8). You should not change this setting unless you are sure that you wish to use another encoding. The Integration Server is optimized for the UTF-8 encoding. The encoding you choose also applies to any localized (translated) versions of the template that you may create, so you should choose a character encoding that supports all of the languages for which you will create localized templates. For details, see the Dynamic Server Pages and Output Templates Developer’s Guide.

If you do change this setting, make sure that your XML or HTML file contains the proper encoding or META tag for the encoding you use, as this may affect the browser or parser performance outside the Integration Server.

8 Click Save.

Specifying Run-Time ParametersAs a developer of a service, you can use the Properties panel to specify the following service parameters:

State of a service. You can maintain whether or not you want the server to treat it as a “stateless” service at run time.

Caching of service results. You can cache elements to reduce memory usage in Developer. For details, see “To cache elements” on page 70.

Note: The File Encoding you select limits the characters that you can use in your template (including the data inserted into your template using %VALUE% statements) to those in the character set of the encoding you choose. It also limits any translated versions of the templates to the same character set. Generally it is a good idea to use the UTF-8 (Unicode) encoding, since Unicode supports nearly all of the characters in all of the world's languages. You will not lose any data if you choose to save your template in UTF-8; any data entered into a form will be properly interpreted by the Integration Server.

Important! After editing a template in Developer, do not edit it outside of Developer. This will affect the interpretation of the encoding settings and may result in characters being lost or misinterpreted.

Specifying Run-Time Parameters


Execution locale of a service. You can set the type of locale in which the Integration Server executes at run time.

Maintaining the State of a ServiceWhen a remote client opens a session on a webMethods Integration Server, the server automatically builds a session object for that client. The server uses this object to maintain specific information about the client requesting the service, such as user name and password. The server maintains the session object for the duration of the session (that is, until the client program explicitly closes the session on the server or the session times out due to client inactivity).

When you develop services in a language such as Java, C/C++, or Visual Basic, you can use the “put” method to write information to the session object. You might do this to store information that a sequence of services needs to maintain a connection to an external system.

A service that is an atomic unit of work (that is, one that is wholly self contained and not part of a multi-service transaction to an external system) does not to need to have its session object maintained when it is finished executing. For performance reasons, you may want to configure these types of services to run in “stateless” mode. Services that run in “stateless” mode use fewer resources and do not consume a licensed seat on webMethods Integration Server.

1 Open the service that you want to configure.


3 In the Runtime category of the Properties panel, do one of the following to set the Stateless property:

If the service is a self-contained, atomic unit of work and does not need access to state information, select True. The server will remove the client session immediately after the service executes, and no session information will be maintained for the service.

Important! The Runtime properties on the Properties panel should only be set by someone who is thoroughly familiar with the structure and operation of the selected service. Improper use of these options can lead to a service failure at run time and/or the return of invalid data to the client program.

Important! Do not use the stateless option unless you are certain that the service operates as an atomic unit of work. If you are unsure, set the Stateless property in the Runtime category to False.

To configure a service’s run-time state



If the service is part of a multi-service transaction or if you are unsure of its state requirements, select False. The server will build and maintain a session object for this service.

Configuring a Service’s Use of CacheCaching is an optimization feature that can improve the performance of stateless services. When you enable caching for a service, webMethods Integration Server saves the entire contents of the pipeline after invoking the service in a local cache for the period of time that you specify. The pipeline includes the output fields explicitly defined in the cached service, as well as any output fields produced by earlier services in the flow. When the server receives subsequent requests for a service with the same set of input values, it returns the cached result to the client rather than invoking the service again.

Caching can significantly improve response time of services. For example, services that retrieve information from busy data sources such as high-traffic commercial Web servers could benefit from caching. The server can cache the results for flows, Java services, and C/C++ services.

Types of Services to CacheWhile caching service results can improve performance, not all services should be cached. You should never cache services if the cached results might be incorrect for subsequent invocations or if the service performs tasks that must be executed each time the service is invoked. This section describes guidelines for you to consider when determining whether to cache the results for a service.

Services Suited for Caching

Services that require no state information. If a service does not depend on state information from an earlier transaction in the client’s session, you can cache its results.

Services that retrieve data from data sources that are updated infrequently. Services whose sources are updated on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis are good candidates for caching.

Services that are invoked frequently with the same set of inputs. If a service is frequently invoked by clients using the same input values, it is beneficial to cache the results.

Services That You Should Not Cache

Services that perform required processing. Some services contain processing that must be processed each time a client invokes it. For example, if a service contains accounting logic to perform charge back and you cache the service results, the server does not

Note: Caching is only available for data that can be written to the repository server. Since nodes cannot be written to the repository, they cannot be cached.



execute the service, so the service does not perform charge back for the subsequent invocations of the service.

Services that require state information. Do not cache services that require state information from an earlier transaction, particularly information that identifies the client that invoked it. For example, you do not want to cache a service that produced a price list for office equipment if the prices in the list vary depending on the client who initially connects to the data source.

Services that retrieve information from frequently updated sources. If a service retrieves data from a data source that is updated frequently, the cached results can become outdated. Do not cache services that retrieve information from sources that are updated in real time or near real time, such as stock quote systems or transactional databases.

Services that are invoked with unique inputs. If a service handles a large number of unique inputs and very few repeated requests, you will gain little by caching its results. You might even degrade server performance by quickly consuming large amounts of memory.

Controlling a Service’s Use of CacheYou use the properties on the Properties panel to enable caching and to configure the way in which you want it to operate with the selected service. You use these settings to strike the right balance between data currency and memory usage. To gauge the effectiveness of your cache settings, you can monitor its performance by viewing service statistics with the Integration Server Administrator and then adjusting your caching values accordingly.

Specifying the Duration of a Cached ResultThe server maintains results in cache for the period of time you specify in the Cache expire property on the Properties panel. The expiration timer begins when the server initially caches a result, and it expires when the time you specify elapses. (The server does not reset the expiration timer each time it satisfies a service request with a cached result.) The minimum cache expiration time is one minute.

Note: If you do not have administrator privileges on your webMethods Integration Server, work with your server administrator to monitor and evaluate your service’s use of cache.

Important! If you edit a cached service by changing the inputs (not the pipeline), you must reset the server cache. If you do not reset it, the old cached input parameters will be used at run time. To reset the service cache from Developer, select the service and then click the Reset button next to Reset Cache in the Properties panel. To reset the service cache from Integration Server Administrator, select Service Usage under Server in the Navigation panel. Select the name of the service and an information screen for that service appears. Click Reset Server Cache.



Using the Prefetch OptionYou use the Prefetch property to specify whether or not you want the server to automatically refresh the cache for this service when it expires. If you set Prefetch to True, the server automatically re-executes the service (using the same set of inputs as before) to update its results in cache. This action also resets the cache expiration timer.

When you enable Prefetch, you must also set the Prefetch activation property to specify when the server should initiate a prefetch. This setting specifies the minimum number of times a cached result must be accessed (hit) in order for the server to prefetch results. If the server retrieves the cached results fewer times than specified in the Prefetch activation property, the server will not prefetch the service results when the cache expires.

1 Open the service for which you want to configure caching.


3 In the Runtime category of the Properties panel, set Cache results to True.

4 In the Cache expire field, type an integer representing the length of time (in minutes) that you want the results for this service to be available in cache.

Note: The cache may not be refreshed at the exact time specified in Cache expire. It may vary from 0 to 15 seconds, according to the cache sweeper thread. For details, see the watt.server.cache.flushMins setting in webMethods Integration Server.

Important! Use Prefetch carefully. Overuse can quickly exhaust the memory available for cache.

Important! Do not use Prefetch with Java or C/C++ services that invoke access-controlled services. Such services will fail during prefetch because the embedded service will be invoked without the proper access privileges. To avoid this problem, enable Prefetch on the invoked services rather than on the Java or C/C++ services that call them.

Note: The cache may not be refreshed at the exact time the last hit fulfills the Prefetch activation requirement. It may vary from 0 to 15 seconds, according to the cache sweeper thread. For details, see the watt.server.cache.flushMins setting in webMethods Integration Server.

To enable caching of pipeline contents after a service is invoked



5 If you want to use prefetch, do the following:

a Set Prefetch to True.

b In the Prefetch activation property, specify the minimum number of hits needed to activate the use of prefetch.

Specifying the Execution LocaleWhen you create a service, you can set the locale property to indicate the locale policy in which the service executes at run time. The locale policy of a service refers to the language, regional, or cultural settings of a specific target market (the end user). Each locale consists of five sections: language, extended language, script, region, and variant.

Locales can influence the following:

String display of numeric values and date/time values

Parsing of dates and numbers from strings

Default currency (pounds, Euros, dollars)

Default measuring system (metric or customary)

Default system resources (such as fonts, character encodings, etc.)

Collation (sorting) of lists

User interface/content language

The Integration Server recognizes the following locale policies at run time:

Server locale uses its default JVM locale.

User locale uses the client locale.

Root locale uses neutral or POSIX locale.

Null locale uses no locale policy.

You can also enable the Integration Server to recognize custom locales. By default, the service uses the null locale. That is, it uses no locale policy.

1 Open the service that you want to configure.


To specify the execution locale of a service



3 In the Runtime category of the Properties panel, do one of the following to specify the Execution Locale property:

4 If you selected Open locale editor, complete the following in the Define Custom Locale dialog box.

5 Click OK. The Integration Server will execute the service in the specified locale.

Configur ing Service RetryWhen building a service, you can configure the service to retry automatically if the service fails because of an ISRuntimeException. An ISRuntimeException occurs when the service catches and wraps a transient error, and then re-throws it as an ISRuntimeException. A transient error is an error that arises from a temporary condition that might be resolved or restored quickly, such as the unavailability of a resource due to network issues or failure to connect to a database. The service might execute successfully if the Integration Server waits a short interval of time and then retries the service.

To configure a service to retry, you specify the maximum retry attempts and the retry interval. The maximum retry attempts indicate how many attempts the Integration Server makes to re-execute the service when it ends because of an ISRuntimeException. The retry

Select... To...

[$default] Default Runtime Locale Use the server’s default JVM locale.

[$user] Default User Locale Use the client locale.

[$null] No Locale Policy Use no locale policy.

[root locale] Use the neutral or POSIX locale.

[<ISO code>] <Language> Use a specific locale.

Open locale editor... Define a custom locale.

In this field... Do the following...

Language Select one of the ISO 639 codes that represent the language. (2- or 3-letter codes)

Extended Language For future release.

Script Optional. Select one of the 4-letter script codes in the ISO 15924 registry.

Region Optional. Select one of the ISO 3166-2 country codes.

IANA Variant Optional. Add or remove a variant code registered by the IANA.

Configuring Service Retry


interval indicates the length of time (in milliseconds) that the Integration Server waits between execution attempts.

At run time, when a service throws an ISRuntimeException, the Integration Server waits the length of the retry interval and then re-executes the service using the original input pipeline passed to the service. The Integration Server continues to retry the service until the service executes successfully or the Integration Server makes the maximum number of retry attempts. If the service throws an ISRuntimeException during the final retry attempt, the Integration Server treats the last failure as a service error. The service ends with a service exception.

Integration Server generates the following journal log message between retry attempts: [ISS.0014.0031V3] Service serviceName failed with ISRuntimeException. Retry x of y will begin in retryInterval milliseconds.

About the Maximum Retry PeriodThe Integration Server uses the same server thread for the initial service execution and the subsequent retry attempts. The Integration Server returns the thread to the server thread pool only when the service executes successfully or the retry attempts are exhausted. To prevent the execution and re-execution of a single service from monopolizing a server thread for a long time, the Integration Server enforces a maximum retry period when you configure service retry properties. The maximum retry period indicates the total amount of time that can elapse if the Integration Server makes the maximum retry attempts. By default, the maximum retry period is 15,000 milliseconds (15 seconds).

When you configure service retry, the Integration Server verifies that the retry period for that service will not exceed the maximum retry period. The Integration Server determines the retry period for the service by multiplying the maximum retry attempts by the retry interval. If this value exceeds the maximum retry period, Developer displays an error indicating that either the maximum attempts or the retry interval needs to be modified.

Note: If service auditing is also configured for the service, the Integration Server adds an entry to the audit log for each failed retry attempt. Each of these entries will have a status of “Retried” and an error message of “Null”. However, if the Integration Server makes the maximum retry attempts and the service still fails, the final audit log entry for the service will have a status of “Failed” and will display the actual error message.

Note: The watt.server.invoke.maxRetryPeriod server parameter specifies the maximum retry period. To change the maximum retry period, change the value of this parameter.



Setting Service Retry Propert iesWhen configuring service retry, keep the following points in mind:

You can configure retry attempts for flow services, Java services, and C services only.

Only top-level services can be retried. That is, a service can be retried only when it is invoked directly by a client request. The service cannot be retried when it is invoked by another service (that is, when it is a nested service).

If a service is invoked by a trigger (that is, the service is functioning as a trigger service), the Integration Server uses the trigger retry properties instead of the service retry properties.

Unlike triggers, you cannot configure a service to retry until successful.

To catch a transient error and re-throw it as an ISRuntimeException, the service must do one of the following:

If the service is a flow service, the service must invoke pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry. For more information about the pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

If the service is written in Java, the service can use com.wm.app.b2b.server.ISRuntimeException ( ). For more information about constructing ISRuntimeExceptions in Java services, see webMethods Integration Server Java API Reference for the com.wm.app.b2b.server.ISRuntimeException class.

The service retry period must be less than the maximum retry period. For more information, see “About the Maximum Retry Period” on page 141.

1 Open the service for which you want to configure service retry.


3 Under the Retry on ISRuntimeException category of the Properties panel, in the Max attempts property, specify the number of times the Integration Server should attempt to re-execute the service. The default is 0, which indicates that the Integration Server does not attempt to re-execute the service.

4 In the Retry interval property, specify the number of milliseconds the Integration Server should wait between retry attempts. The default is 0 milliseconds, which indicates that the Integration Server re-executes the service immediately.


To configure service retry

Assigning Universal Names to Services


Assigning Universal Names to ServicesEvery service on a webMethods Integration Server has a universal name in addition to its regular webMethods name. A universal name is a unique public identifier that external protocols (such as SOAP) use to reference a service on a webMethods Integration Server.

A universal name has two parts: a namespace name and a local name.

The namespace name is a qualifier that distinguishes a webMethods service from other resources on the Internet. For example, there might be many resources with the name AcctInfo. A namespace name distinguishes one AcctInfo resource from another by specifying the name of the collection to which it belongs, similar to the way in which a state or province name serves to distinguish cities with the same name (for example, Springfield, Illinois, versus Springfield, Ontario).

Like namespaces in XML, the namespace portion of a universal name is expressed as a URI. This notation assures uniqueness, because URIs are based on globally unique domain names.

The namespace portion of the universal name can consist of any combination of characters that form a valid absolute URI (relative URIs are not supported). For example, the following are all valid namespace names:

http://www.gsx.comhttp://www.gsx.com/gl/journalshttp://www.ugmed.ch/résumè

For a complete description of what makes up a valid URI, see RFC 2396 Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2396.txt.

The local name uniquely identifies a service within the collection encompassed by a particular namespace. Many webMethods users use a service’s unqualified name as its local name. Under this scheme, a service named gl.journals:closeGL would have a local name of closeGL.

Local names follow the same construction rules as NCNames in XML. Basically, a local name can be composed of any combination of letters, digits, or the following symbols: . (period)- (dash)_(underscore)

Tip! You can invoke the pub.flow:getRetryCount service to retrieve the current retry count and the maximum specified retry attempts. For more information about this service, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference. For more information about building a service that retries, see “Configuring Service Retry” on page 140.

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2396.txt



Additionally, the local name must begin with a letter or an underscore. The following are examples of valid local names:

addCustOrderauthorize_Level1générent

For specific rules relating to NCNames, see the “NCName” definition in the Namespaces in XML specification at http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-xml-names-19990114.

A universal name can be either an explicit or an implicit universal name.

An explicit universal name is a universal name that you assign to a service by specifying both a namespace name and a local name in the Properties panel.

An implicit universal name is automatically derived from the name of the service itself, and it acts as the universal name when an explicit universal name has not been specified. The server derives an implicit name as follows:

The namespace name is the literal string http://localhost/ followed by the fully qualified name of the folder in which the service resides on the Integration Server.

The local name is the unqualified name of the service.

For details on universal names, see the SOAP Developer’s Guide.

1 Open the service whose universal name you want to assign, edit, or view.


3 If you want to assign or edit the service’s universal name, specify the following in the Universal Name category of the Properties panel:

Note: The server normalizes universal names according to Unicode Normalization Form C, as recommended by the Character Model, SOAP, and XML standards. This ensures that names containing non-ASCII characters (particularly those with accented or combining characters) are represented in a standard way.

For information about normalization, see http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr15/ (Unicode Standard Annex #15) and http://www.w3.org/TR/charmod/ (Character Model for the World-Wide Web).

To assign, edit, or view a universal name

http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr15/

http://www.w3.org/TR/charmod/

Configuring Service Auditing



1 Open the service whose universal name you want to delete.


3 In the Universal Name category of the Properties panel, clear the settings in the Namespace name and Local name fields.


Configur ing Service Audit ingService auditing is a feature in the Integration Server that you can use to track which services executed, when services started and completed, and whether services succeeded or failed. You perform service auditing by analyzing the data stored in the audit log. The audit log can contain entries for service start, service end, and service failure. The audit log can also contain a copy of the input pipeline used to invoke the service. At run time, services generate audit data at predefined points. The Integration Server captures the generated audit data and stores it in the audit log. If the audit log is a database, you can reinvoke services using the webMethods Monitor.


Namespace name The URI that will be used to qualify the name of this service. You must specify a valid absolute URI.

Local name A name that uniquely identifies the service within the collection encompassed by Namespace name. The name can be composed of any combination of letters, digits, or the period (.), dash (-) and underscore (_) characters. Additionally, it must begin with a letter or the underscore character.

Note: Many webMethods users use the unqualified portion of the service name as the local name.

Note: If you move a service, or a folder containing a service, Developer retains the service’s explicit universal name. If you copy a service, or a folder containing a service, Developer does not retain the service’s explicit universal name.

To delete a universal name



Each service has a set of auditing properties located in the Audit category on the service’s Properties panel. These properties determine when a service generates audit data and what data is stored in the audit log. For each service, you can decide:

Whether the service should generate audit data during execution.

The points during service execution when the service should generate audit data to be saved in the audit log.

Whether to include a copy of the service input pipeline in the audit log.

Audit properties for a service

Keep in mind that generating audit data can impact performance. The Integration Server uses the network to send the audit data to the audit log and uses memory to actually save the data in the audit log. If a large amount of data is saved, performance can be impacted. When you configure audit data generation for services, you should balance the need for audit data against the potential performance impact.

The following sections describe the options for generating audit data and the potential performance impact of each option.

Note: When the Integration Server logs an entry for a service, the log entry contains the identify of the server that executed the service. The server ID in the log entry always uses the Integration Server primary port, even if a service is executed using another (non-primary) Integration Server port.

Specifies if a servicegenerates audit data.

Specifies when a service generates audit data during execution.

Specifies when toinclude the pipeline in

the audit log.

Note: The audit log can be a flat file or a database. If you use a database, the database must support JDBC. You can use the Integration Server to view the audit log whether it is a flat file or a database. If the audit log is a database, you can also use the webMethods Monitor to view audit data and reinvoke the service. Before you configure service auditing, check with your Integration Server Administrator to learn what kind of audit log exists. For more information about the audit log, see the webMethods Logging Guide.



Enabling Audit ing for a ServiceWhen you configure service auditing, you first must decide whether you want to be able to audit the service. That is, do you want the service to generate audit data to be captured in the audit log? If so, you must decide whether the service will generate audit data every time it executes or only when it is invoked directly by a client request (HTTP, FTP, SMTP, etc.) or a trigger.

The following table describes each option for the Enable auditing property in the Properties panel. Keep in mind that whenever a service generates audit data, performance can be impacted.

Specifying When Audit Data Is GeneratedWhen you configure service auditing, you can specify the points when the service generates audit data. You might want a service to produce audit data when it starts, when it ends successfully, when it fails, or a combination of these. Use the options in the Log on property on the Properties panel to specify when a service generates audit data.

The following table describes each option in the Log on property. Keep in mind that every time the service generates audit data, the Integration Server must capture the data and write it to the audit log. This can degrade performance.

Enable auditing option Description

Never The service never generates audit data. Select this option if you do not want to be able to audit this service.

When top-level service only The service generates audit data only when it is invoked directly by a client request or by a trigger. The service does not generate audit data when it is invoked by another service (that is, when it is a nested service).

Always The service generates audit data every time it is invoked. Select this option if the service is a critical service that you want to be able to audit every time it executes.

Tip! When a service generates audit data, it also produces an audit event. If you want the audit event to cause another action to be performed, such as sending an e-mail notification, write an event handler. Then subscribe the event handler to audit events. For more information about events and event handlers, see Chapter 14, “Subscribing to Events”.



Log on option Description

Error only The service generates audit data only when the service ends because of a failure. If the service executes successfully, it will not generate audit data.

Performance Impact: This option impacts performance only when the service fails. When a service executes successfully, this option does not impact performance. This option offers the smallest performance impact of all the options under Log on.

Error and success The service generates audit data when the service finishes executing, regardless of whether it ends because of success or failure. The audit log will contain an entry for every time the service finishes processing.

Performance Impact: This option impacts performance every time the service executes, whether it ends because of error or success. If you are concerned only with services that fail, consider using the Error only option instead.

Error, success, and start

The service generates audit data when it begins executing and when it finishes executing. When the service executes to completion, the audit log will contain a start entry and an end or error entry.

Generally, most services execute fairly quickly. By the time an administrator views the audit log using webMethods Monitor, the audit log would probably contain entries for the start and end of service execution. Situations where you might want the service to generate audit data at the start and end of service execution include:

To check for the start of long-running services

To detect service hangs.

In both situations, if service execution began but did not complete, the audit log contains an entry for the start of the service, but no entry for the end of the service.

Performance Impact: Of all the options under Log on, this option provides the most verbose and expensive type of audit logging. Every time it executes, the service generates audit data at two points: the beginning and the end. The Integration Server must write the audit data to the audit log twice per service execution. This requires significantly more disk utilization than the Error only and Error and success options. At most, the Error only and Error and success options require the Integration Server to write audit data once per service execution.



Including the Pipeline in the Audit LogWhen you configure service auditing, you can specify whether the server should include a copy of the service’s input pipeline in the audit log. If the audit log contains a copy of the input pipeline, you can use the webMethods Monitor to perform more extensive failure analysis, examine the service’s input data, or reinvoke the service. Use the options in the Include pipeline property on the Properties panel to specify when the Integration Server should save a copy of the input pipeline in the audit log.

The pipeline data saved in the audit log is the state of the pipeline just before the invocation of the service. It is not the state of the pipeline at the point the service generates audit data.

When Is a Copy of the Input Pipeline Saved in the Audit Log?The Integration Server saves a copy of the input pipeline only if the service generates audit data and the service satisfies the option selected in the Include pipeline property. For example, ServiceA has the following settings on the Properties panel.

Audit log settings for ServiceA

The audit log will contain the input pipeline for ServiceA only if it is the top-level service (invoked directly by a client or a trigger) and the service ends because of failure. If ServiceA is not the top-level service or if ServiceA executes successfully, the audit log will not contain a copy of the input pipeline.

The following table describes the options in the Include pipeline property on the Properties panel. Keep in mind that saving the input pipeline to the audit log can impact the performance of the Integration Server.

Note: The service generates audit data only when it satisfies the selected option under Enable auditing and the selected option in the Log on property. For example, if When top-level service only is selected and the service is not the root service in the flow service, it will not generate audit data.

The audit log will containaudit and pipeline data

for this service only if theservice is invoked by a

client or trigger and...

...the service fails.

Note: Including the pipeline in the audit log is more beneficial when the audit log is a database. The Integration Server can save the pipeline to a flat file audit log; however, you will not be able to use the pipeline data to reinvoke the service or perform failure analysis.



Include pipeline Description

Never The Integration Server will never save a copy of the service’s input pipeline to the audit log. Select this option if you are using a flat file for the audit log or if you do not want to be able to resubmit the service to the Integration Server.

Performance Impact: This option requires minimal network bandwidth because the Integration Server needs to send only the audit data generated by the service to the audit log.

On errors only The Integration Server saves a copy of the input pipeline to the audit log only when the service generates audit data because of failure. Select this option if you want to use the resubmission capabilities of the webMethods Monitor to reinvoke a failed service. For more information about webMethods Monitor, see the webMethods Monitor documentation.

Performance Impact: For successful service invocations, the On errors only option requires minimal network bandwidth. Service invocations that end in failure require more network bandwidth because the Integration Server must save the audit data and the input pipeline. The actual network bandwidth needed depends on the size of the initial input pipeline. A large pipeline can degrade performance because it may negatively impact the rate at which the data is saved to the audit log.



Service Audit ing Use CasesBefore you set properties in the Audit category on the Properties panel, decide what type of auditing you want to perform. That is, decide what you want to use the audit log for. The following sections describe four types of auditing and identify the Audit properties you would select to be able to perform that type of auditing.

Error AuditingIn error auditing, you use the audit log to track and reinvoke failed services. To use the audit log for error auditing, services must generate audit data when errors occur, and the Integration Server must save a copy of the service’s input pipeline in the audit log.

With webMethods Monitor, you can only reinvoke top-level services (those services invoked directly by a client or by a trigger). Therefore, if your intent with error auditing is

Always The Integration Server saves a copy of the input pipeline to the audit log every time the service generates audit data. If the service generates data at the start and end of execution (Log on is set to Error, success, and start), the input pipeline is saved with the audit log entry for the start of service execution. If a service does not generate audit data, the Integration Server does not include a copy of the input pipeline.

Select the Always option if you want to be able to use the resubmission capabilities of the webMethods Monitor to reinvoke the service, regardless of whether the original service invocation succeeded or failed. Including the pipeline can be useful if a resource experiences a fatal failure (such as hard disk failure). To restore the resource to its pre-failure state, you could resubmit all the service invocations that occurred since the last time the resource was backed up. This is sometimes called a full audit for recovery.

Performance Impact: The Always option is the most expensive option under Include pipeline. This option places the greatest demand on network bandwidth because the Integration Server must write a copy of the input pipeline to the audit log every time a service executes. The actual network bandwidth needed depends on the size of the initial input pipeline. A large input pipeline can negatively impact the rate at which the data is saved to the audit log.

Include pipeline Description

Note: If you want audit events generated by a service to pass a copy of the input pipeline to any subscribed event handlers, select On errors only or Always.



to reinvoke failed services, the service needs to generate audit data only when it is the top-level service and it fails.

To make sure the audit log contains the information needed to perform error auditing, select the following Audit properties.

To use the audit log for error auditing, use a database as the audit log.

Service AuditingWhen you perform service auditing, you use the audit log to track which services execute successfully and which services fail. You can perform service auditing to analyze the audit log and determine how often a service executes, how many times it succeeds, and how many times it fails. To use the audit log for service auditing, services need to generate audit data after execution ends.

To make sure the audit log contains the information needed to perform service auditing, select the following Audit properties.

To use the audit log for service auditing, you can use either a flat file or a database as the audit log.

For this property... Select this option...

Enable auditing When top-level service only

Note: If you want to be able to audit all failed invocations of this service, select Always.

Include pipeline On errors only

Log on Error only



Include pipeline Never

Note: Configure a service to save a copy of the input pipeline only if you intend to reinvoke the service using the resubmission capabilities of the webMethods Monitor.

Log on Error and success



Auditing for RecoveryAuditing for recovery involves using the audit log to track executed services and service input data so that you can reinvoke the services. You might want to audit for recovery in the event that a resource experiences a fatal failure, and you want to restore the resource to its pre-failure state by resubmitting service invocations.

When auditing for recovery, you want to be able to resubmit failed and successful services. The audit log needs to contain an entry for each service invoked by a client request or a trigger. The audit log also needs to contain a copy of each service’s input pipeline.

To use the audit log to audit for recovery, select the following Audit properties.

To use the audit log to audit for recovery, use a database for the audit log.

Auditing Long-Running ServicesIf a service takes a long time to process, you might want to use the audit log to verify that service execution started. If the audit log contains a start entry for the service but no end or error entry, then you know that service execution began but did not complete. To enable auditing of long-running services, select the Error, success, and start option for the Log on property.

Sett ing Audit ing Options for a ServiceThe following procedure explains how to set auditing options for a service. The options you select determine if and when a service generates audit data, and whether the audit log includes a copy of the service’s input pipeline. Make sure that you select options that will provide the audit log with the audit data you require.



Include pipeline Always

Log on Error and success

Note: Typically, you will audit long-running services in conjunction with error auditing, service auditing, or auditing for recovery.

Important! Before you select options for generating audit data, check with your Integration Server Administrator to determine what kind of audit log exists. An audit log can be a flat file or a database.



1 Open the service for which you want to configure service auditing. To configure service auditing, you must have write access to the service and own the lock on the service.


3 In the Audit category of the Properties panel, select an Enable auditing option to indicate when you want the service to generate audit data.

For more information about the Enable auditing options, see “Enabling Auditing for a Service” on page 147.

4 For Include pipeline, select an option to indicate when the Integration Server should include a copy of the input pipeline in the audit log.

For more information about the Include pipeline options, including information about the performance impact, see “Including the Pipeline in the Audit Log” on page 149.

5 For Log on, select an option to determine when the service generates audit data.

For more information about the Log on options, including information about the performance impact, see “Specifying When Audit Data Is Generated” on page 147.


Audit Level Settings in Earl ier Versions of Developer In earlier versions of Developer, you could configure audit level settings using the Audit level field on the Settings tab. In this field, you could select one of three audit levels for a service: off, brief, or verbose. Because the auditing options on the Properties panel offer more control over the generation of audit data, the audit level settings are no longer available. Each of the earlier Audit level settings corresponds to a combination of options on the Properties panel.

The following table indicates how the Audit level values from webMethods Developer 4.6 (and earlier) correspond to the properties on the Properties panel.

To set auditing options for a service

Note: If you want audit events generated by this service to pass a copy of the input pipeline to any subscribed event handlers, select On errors only or Always.

Important! The options you select in the Audit category of the Properties panel can be overwritten at run time by the value of the watt.server.auditLog server property.

Printing a Flow Service


Print ing a Flow ServiceThe following procedure describes how to use the View as HTML command to produce a printable version of a flow service. This lets you see all aspects of a flow (its input and output parameters, its flow steps, and pipeline behavior) in a single document.

A flow report lets you view all aspects of the flow service at once

Audit Level in Developer 4.x Enable auditing Include pipeline Log on

None Never Never --

Brief Always Never Error, success, and start

Verbose Always Always Error, success, and start

Input/Outputparameters

Body of the flow

Details of eachflow step



1 In the editor, select the service that you want to print.

2 From the File menu, click View as HTML.

3 If you want to print the flow, select your browser’s print command.

To print a flow service

Note: When you print a flow service as HTML, only the flow steps currently visible in the editor appear in the resulting HTML page. To fit all of the steps in a flow service into the editor (and therefore, into a single HTML page), hide the Navigation, Recent Elements, Properties, and Results panels to maximize the editor.


C H A P T E R 7Insert ing Flow Steps

What is a Flow Step? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Inserting and Moving Flow Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

The INVOKE Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

The BRANCH Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

The REPEAT Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

The SEQUENCE Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

The LOOP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

The EXIT Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

The MAP Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

C H A P T E R 7 I n s e r t i n g F l o w S t e p s


What is a Flow Step?A flow step is the basic unit of work that instructs webMethods Integration Server about what to do with data at each stage of a flow service. Flow steps can invoke services and direct the course of execution. Using flow steps you can:

Invoke a service, such as a flow service, Java service, C service, or Web service connector (INVOKE).

Conditionally execute one step from a set of specified alternatives (BRANCH).

Repeat a set of flow steps up to a specified number of times or until a step in the set fails or succeeds as specified (REPEAT).

Group a set of flow steps and control the way in which the failure of a member of the set is processed (SEQUENCE).

Repeat a set of flow steps over the elements of a specified array (LOOP).

Exit the entire flow or exit a single flow step (EXIT).

Link, add, edit, and delete pipeline variables or invoke several services that operate on the same set of pipeline variables (MAP).

Insert ing and Moving Flow StepsTo insert flow steps in a flow service, you must open the service in the editor. The flow steps in the service are listed in the editor. (If you just created the service and it does not yet contain any default logic, the editor is empty).

Inserting and Moving Flow Steps


Displaying the steps in a flow service

You insert flow steps into a service using the following toolbar buttons at the top of the editor. (You cannot directly type a flow step into the editor. All editing is performed through the toolbar).

Flow steps aredisplayed in

the editor.

Note: You might find it helpful to declare the input and output parameters for a flow service before you insert flow steps. By first declaring the parameters, it is clear what data the service expects and what variables are available for use in flow steps.

To insert a/an... Click this button... For more information, see page...

INVOKE step 163

MAP step 191

BRANCH step 166

LOOP step 184



Changing the Posit ion of a Flow StepFlow steps run in the order in which they appear in the editor. To move a step up or down in a flow service, first select that step in the editor and then use the arrow buttons on the toolbar to move the step up or down in the list.

You can also move a flow step by dragging it up or down with your mouse or by using the Shift commands on the Compose menu.

Changing the Level of a Flow StepSome flow steps have subordinate steps on which they operate. Subordinate steps are referred to as children. For example, when you use the LOOP step, the set of steps that make up the loop are referred to as children of that LOOP step.

Children are specified by indenting them beneath their parent flow step. In the following example, the top LOOP step has nine children. Note that one of its children is a BRANCH step, which has its own set of children.

REPEAT step 177

SEQUENCE step 183

EXIT step 188

To insert a/an... Click this button... For more information, see page...

Note: If you select an existing step in the editor before inserting a new one, Developer inserts the new step below the one that is selected. If you do not have a step selected, it adds the new step to the end of the flow. You can move a step to a new location using the arrow buttons on the toolbar. See the following section, “Changing the Position of a Flow Step”.

To... Click this button...

Move the flow step up in the list

Move the flow step down in the list

Inserting and Moving Flow Steps


Child steps are indented beneath their parent step

To promote or demote a flow step within a parent/child hierarchy, select the step in the editor, and then use one of the following buttons to move it left or right beneath the current parent step.

Setting the Properties of a Flow StepEvery flow step is associated with a unique set of properties. The properties for a flow step are displayed in the Properties panel. Values that you specify in the Properties panel apply only to the selected step in the editor.

These steps are“children” of theBRANCH step.

This step is a “child”of the LOOP step.

To... Click this button...

Demote a flow step in the hierarchy (that is, make the selected step a child of the preceding parent step)

This button will only be available if you select a step that can become a child.

Promote a flow step in the hierarchy (that is, move the step one level up in the hierarchy)



Properties of a flow step

Although each type of flow step has a set of unique properties, they all have the following properties:

For a complete description of the properties associated with each flow step, see Appendix A, “webMethods Flow Steps”.

Use the Propertiespanel to view and set

the properties of aflow step.

Property Description

Comments Assigns an optional descriptive comment to the selected flow step.

Label Assigns a name to the selected flow step. When a label is assigned, that label appears next to the step in the editor. The label allows you to reference that flow step in other flow steps. In addition, you use the label to control the behavior of certain flow steps. For example, the BRANCH step uses the Label property to determine which alternative it is supposed to execute.

See “The BRANCH Step” on page 166 and “The EXIT Step” on page 188 for additional information about this use of the label property.

The INVOKE Step


The INVOKE StepYou use the INVOKE step to request a service within a flow. You can use the INVOKE step to:

Invoke any type of service, including other flow services and Web service connectors.

Invoke any service for which the caller of the current flow has access rights on the local webMethods Integration Server.

Invoke built-in services and services on other webMethods Integration Servers.

Invoke flow services recursively (that is, a flow service that calls itself). If you use a flow service recursively, bear in mind that you must provide a means to end the recursion.

Invoke any service, validating its input and/or output. For details, see “Performing Input/Output Validation” on page 266.

Flow service containing INVOKE steps

Specifying the Service PropertyThe INVOKE step’s Service property specifies which service will be invoked at run time. When you insert an INVOKE step, Developer automatically assigns the name of that service to the Service property.

If you want to change the service assigned to an INVOKE step, you edit the Service property. You edit this property in one of two ways:

By clicking the Service property’s edit button ( ) and selecting a service from the Select dialog box. This is the preferred method.

By typing the name of a service in the Service text box. When you specify a service in this manner, keep the following points in mind:

You must specify the service’s fully qualified name in folderName:serviceName format.

Example purchasing.orders:getOrders



You must specify the service’s name exactly as it is defined on the server. Service names are case sensitive.

Invoking a Built - In ServiceThere is an extensive set of built-in services that you can invoke from a flow service. The webMethods library includes services for doing such things as transforming data values, performing simple mathematical operations, extracting information from XML documents, and accessing databases.

Built-in services reside in the WmPublic package. For a complete description of these services, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Invoking a Service on Another webMethods Integration ServerYou can use the built-in service pub.remote:invoke to invoke a service on a remote Integration Server and return the results. The remote server is identified by an alias, which is configured on the Remote Servers screen in the Integration Server Administrator. The pub.remote:invoke service automatically handles opening a session and authentication on the remote server.

The pub.remote:invoke service resides in the WmPublic package and requires the alias of the remote server and the fully qualified name of the service that you want to invoke as input. For a complete description of this service, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Building an INVOKE StepUse the following procedure to invoke a service within a flow service.

1 Open the flow service in which you want to invoke another service. In the editor, select the step immediately above which you want to insert the INVOKE step.

2 Click on the editor toolbar and then select the service you want to invoke. If the service you want to invoke does not appear in the list, click Browse to navigate to and select the service.

Note: If you are using any adapters (for example, the webMethods JDBC Adapter), you will have additional built-in services, which are provided by the adapters. See the documentation provided with those adapters for details.

To build an INVOKE step

The INVOKE Step


3 Complete the following fields on the Properties panel:

Tip! You can also add invoke steps by selecting one or more services in the Navigation panel and dragging them to the desired position within the flow in the editor. The services must reside on the same server as the flow service.

For this property... Specify...

Service The fully qualified name of the service that will be invoked at run time. When you insert a service, Developer automatically assigns the name of that service to the Service property. If you want to change the service that is invoked, specify the service’s fully qualified name in the format folderName:serviceName or click and select a service from the list.

Timeout Optional. Specifies the maximum number of seconds that this step should run. If this time elapses before the step completes, the server waits for the step to complete and then raises an exception.

If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols. For example, %expiration%.

If you do not need to specify a time-out period, leave Timeout blank.

Validate input Whether or not you want the server to validate the input to the service against the service input signature. Select True to validate the input. Select False if you do not want to validate the input.

For information about validating input, see “Performing Input/Output Validation” on page 266.

Validate output Whether or not you want the server to validate the output of the service against the service output signature. Select True to validate the output. Select False if you do not want to validate the output.

For information about validating output, see “Performing Input/Output Validation” on page 266.



4 If necessary, on the Pipeline tab, link Pipeline In variables to Service In variables. Link Service Out variables to Pipeline Out variables. For more information about linking variables to a service, see “Linking Variables” on page 199.

The BRANCH StepThe BRANCH step allows you to conditionally execute a step based on the value of a variable at run time. For example, you might use a BRANCH step to process a purchase order one way if the PaymentType value is “CREDIT CARD” and another way if it is “CORP ACCT”.

When you build a BRANCH step, you can:

Branch on a switch value. Use a variable to determine which child step executes. At run time, the BRANCH step matches the value of the switch variable to the Label property of each of its targets. It executes the child step whose label matches the value of the switch.

Branch on an expression. Use an expression to determine which child step executes. At run time, the BRANCH step evaluates the expression in the Label property of each child step. It executes the first child step whose expression evaluates to “true.”

Tip! When you install Developer, the Insert menu displays a list of commonly used services. You can use the Tools Options command to customize this list of services to suit your needs.

Important! You cannot branch on a switch value and an expression for the same BRANCH step. If you want to branch on the value of a single variable and you know the possible run-time values of the switch variable exactly, branch on the switch value. If you want to branch on the values of more than one variable or on a range of values, branch on expressions.

The BRANCH Step


Branching on a Switch ValueWhen you branch on a switch value, you branch on the value of a single variable in the pipeline.

1 Create a list of the conditional steps (target steps) and make them children of the BRANCH step.

2 In the Properties panel for the BRANCH step, specify in the Switch property the name of the pipeline variable whose value will act as the switch. For more information about this property, see “Specifying the Switch Variable” on page 167.

3 In the Label property of each target step, specify the value that will cause that step to execute. For more information about this property, see “Specifying the Label Value” on page 168.

Simple BRANCH step that branches on a switch value

Specifying the Switch VariableThe variable you use as the switch variable:

Must be a String or constrained Object variable.

Must be a variable that can exist in the pipeline when the BRANCH step is executed at run time.

To branch on a switch value

Each conditional stephas a label that matches

the value that causes itto execute.

The switch property ofthe BRANCH step

specifies the name ofthe variable that acts

as the switch.



Must be formatted as document/documentVariable, if you are specifying a field in a document as the switch variable (for example, BuyerInfo/AccountNum).

Specifying the Label ValueAt run time, the BRANCH step compares the value of the switch variable to the Label property of each of its targets. It executes the target step whose label matches the value of the switch variable.

You can use a regular expression to specify the matching value for a BRANCH step. To do so, use the following syntax to specify the value in Label:

/RegularExpression/

For example, if you want to select a step based on whether a PO number starts with the string “REL” you use /^REL/ as the value of Label. For more information about regular expressions, see Appendix B, “Regular Expressions”.

Unlike other flow steps whose children execute in sequence at run time, only one child of a BRANCH step is executed: the target whose label matches the value of the switch variable. If none of the targets match the switch variable, none of them are performed, and execution “falls through” to the next step in the flow service. For example, in the following flow service, execution passes directly to the LogTransaction service if the value of PaymentType is “COD.”

An unmatched value will fall though the BRANCH

Keep the following points in mind when assigning labels to the targets of the BRANCH step:

You must give each target step a label unless you want to match an empty string. For that case, you leave the Label property blank. For more about matching an empty string, see “Branching on Null and Empty Values” on page 170.

Each Label value must be unique within the BRANCH step.

If PaymentType is“COD,” execution will

fall through thisBRANCH step.

The BRANCH Step


When you specify a literal value as the Label of a child step, the value you specify must match the run-time value of the switch variable exactly. The Label property is case sensitive.

You can use a regular expression as the value of Label instead of a literal value.

You can match a null value by using the $null value in the Label property. For more information about specifying a null value, see “Branching on Null and Empty Values” on page 170.

You can designate a default step for all unmatched cases by using the $default value in the Label property. For more information about using the $default setting, “Specifying a Default Step” on page 172.

Branching on an Expression When you branch on an expression, you assign an expression to each child of a branch step. At run time, the BRANCH step evaluates the expressions assigned to the child steps. It executes the first child step with an expression that evaluates to true.

1 Create a list of the conditional steps (target steps) and make them children of the BRANCH step.

2 In the Properties panel for the BRANCH step, set Evaluate labels to True.

3 In the Label property of each target, specify the expression that, when true, will cause the target step to execute. The expressions you create can include multiple variables and can specify a range of values for variables. Use the syntax provided by webMethods to create the expression. For more information about expression syntax, see Appendix D, “Conditional Expressions”.

To branch on an expression



Simple BRANCH step that branches on an expression

Keep in mind that only one child of a BRANCH step is executed: the first target step whose label contains an expression that evaluates to true. If none of the expressions evaluate to true, none of the child steps are invoked, and execution falls through to the next step in the flow service. You can use the $default value in the Label property to designate a default step for cases where no expressions evaluate to true. For more information about using the $default value, see “Specifying a Default Step” on page 172.

Branching on Null and Empty ValuesWhen you build a BRANCH step, you can include target steps that match null or empty switch values. The BRANCH step considers a switch value to be null if the variable does not exist in the pipeline or is explicitly set to null. The BRANCH step considers a switch value to be an empty string if the variable exists in the pipeline but its value is a zero length string. To branch on null or empty values, set the Label property for the target step as follows.

Each target step has anexpression as the label.

When set to true, theEvaluate labels property

indicates the stepbranches on expressions.

Important! The expressions you create for the children of a BRANCH step need to be mutually exclusive (only one condition should evaluate to true at run time).

The BRANCH Step


The following example shows a BRANCH step used to authorize a credit card number based on the buyer’s credit card type (CreditCardType). It contains three target steps. The first target step handles situations where the value of CreditCardType is null or where CreditCardType does not exist in the pipeline. The second target step handles cases where the value of CreditCardType is an empty string. (Note that the first two target steps are EXIT steps that will return a failure condition when executed.) The third target step has the $default label, and will process all specified credit card types.

To BRANCH on... Do the following...

A null value Set the Label property to $null. At run time, the BRANCH step executes the target step with the $null label if the switch variable is explicitly set to null or does not exist in the pipeline.

You can use $null with any type of switch variable.

An empty string Leave the Label property blank (empty). At run time, the BRANCH step executes the target step with no label if the switch variable is present, but contains no characters.

You can use an empty value only when the switch variable is of type String.

Important! If you branch on expressions (Evaluate labels is set to True), you cannot branch on null or empty values. When executing the BRANCH step and evaluating labels, the server ignores target steps with a blank or $null label.



BRANCH that contains target steps to match null values or empty strings

Specifying a Default StepIf you want to prevent the service from falling through a BRANCH step when an unmatched value occurs at run time, include a default target step to handle unmatched cases. To specify the default alternative of a BRANCH step, set the Label property to $default.

The following example shows a BRANCH step that is used to authenticate payment for an order based on the type of payment (PaymentType). It contains three target steps. The first target step handles orders paid for by Credit Card. The second target step handles orders paid for through a Corporate Account. The third target step has the $default label and will process all other payment types.

This target step executeswhen CreditCardType is

null or does not exist.

This target stepexecutes when the

CreditCardType value isa zero length string.

The BRANCH Step


The default step is set to $default

Using SEQUENCE as the Target of a BRANCHIn many cases, you may want a BRANCH step to conditionally execute a series of multiple steps rather than just a single step. For these cases, you can use the SEQUENCE step as the target step and group a series of flow steps beneath it.

The following example illustrates a service that accepts a purchase order and processes it one of three ways depending on the payment type specified in the PaymentType variable. Because a series of steps are needed to process the PO in each case, the targets of the BRANCH are defined as SEQUENCE steps, and the appropriate series of steps are specified as children beneath each SEQUENCE.

The first two target stepshandle credit card and

corporate accountpayments...

...and the $defaulttarget step handles

the rest.

Important! You can only have one default target step for a BRANCH step. Developer always evaluates the default step last. The default step does not need to be the last child of the BRANCH step.



Use a SEQUENCE step as the target for a multi-step alternative

Define a multi-step alternative in a SEQUENCE

The SEQUENCE step that you use as a target for a BRANCH can contain any valid flow step, including additional BRANCH steps. For additional information about building a SEQUENCE, see “The SEQUENCE Step” on page 183.

Create a SEQUENCEfor each multi-step

alternative...

...and then specify theappropriate series of

flow steps as childrenbeneath eachSEQUENCE.

The BRANCH Step


Building a BRANCH StepUse the following procedure to build a BRANCH step in a flow service.

1 If you are inserting a BRANCH step into an existing flow service, display that service in the editor and highlight the step immediately above where you want the BRANCH step inserted.

2 Click on the editor toolbar.


To build a BRANCH step


Comments An optional descriptive comment for this step.

Scope The name of a document (IData object) in the pipeline to which you want to restrict this step. If you want this step to have access to the entire pipeline, leave this property blank.

Timeout The maximum number of seconds that this step should run. If this time elapses before the step completes, the server waits for the step to complete and then raises an exception.

If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols (for example, %expiration%).


Label An optional name for this specific step, or a null, unmatched, or empty string ($null, $default, blank). For more information about branching on null or empty values, see “Branching on Null and Empty Values” on page 170.

Note: If you use this step as a target for another BRANCH or an EXIT step, you must specify a value in the Label property. For more information about the EXIT step, see “The EXIT Step” on page 188.



4 Insert the conditional steps that belong to the BRANCH (that is, its children) using the following steps:

a Insert a flow step using the buttons on the editor toolbar.

b Indent the flow step using on the editor toolbar to make it a child of the BRANCH step.

c In the Label property on the Properties panel, specify the switch value that will cause this step to execute at run time.

d Set other properties as needed.

Switch The name of the String or constrained Object variable whose value will be used to determine which child step to execute at run time. Do not specify a switch variable if you set the Evaluate labels property to True.

Evaluate labels Whether or not you want to evaluate labels of child steps as conditional expressions. Select True to branch on expressions. Select False (the default) if you want to branch on the switch value.

To match... Specify...

That exact string A string

The String representation of the object’s value

Example for Boolean object true

Example for Integer object 123

A constrained object value

Any string fitting the criteria specified by the regular expression

Example /^REL/

A regular expression

An empty string A blank field

A null value $null

Any unmatched value (that is, execute the step if the value does not match any other label)

$default


The REPEAT Step


The REPEAT StepThe REPEAT step allows you to conditionally repeat a sequence of child steps based on the success or failure of those steps. You can use REPEAT to:

Re-execute (retry) a set of steps if any step within the set fails. This option is useful to accommodate transient failures that might occur when accessing an external system (for example, databases, ERP systems, Web servers, or Web services) or device.

Re-execute a set of steps until one of the steps within the set fails. This option is useful for repeating a process as long as a particular set of circumstances exists (for example, data items exist in a data set).

Use REPEAT to re-execute one or more steps

Important! If you are branching on expressions, make sure the expressions you assign to the target steps are mutually exclusive. In addition, do not use null or empty values as labels when branching on expressions. The BRANCH step ignores target steps with a $null label or blank label.

This INVOKE step isrepeated up to 10 times

if it fails at run time.



Specifying the REPEAT Condit ionWhen you build a REPEAT step, you set the Repeat on property to specify the condition (success or failure) that will cause its children to re-execute at run time.

Setting the REPEAT CounterThe REPEAT step’s Count property specifies the maximum number of times the server re-executes the child steps in the REPEAT step.

When Does REPEAT Fail?The following conditions cause the REPEAT step to fail:

If the REPEAT step is a child of another flow step, the failure is propagated to its parent.

If you set “Repeat on” to… The REPEAT step…

FAILURE Re-executes the set of child steps if any step in the set fails.

SUCCESS Re-executes the set of child steps if all steps in the set complete successfully.

If you set “Count” to… The REPEAT step…

0 Does not re-execute children.

Any value > 0 Re-executes children up to this number of times.

-1 or blank Re-executes children as long as the specified Repeat on condition is true.

Important! Note that children of a REPEAT always execute at least once. The Count property specifies the maximum number of times the children can be re-executed. At the end of an iteration, the server checks to see whether the condition (that is, failure or success) for repeating is satisfied. If the condition is true and the Count is not met, the children are executed again. This process continues until the repeat condition is false or Count is met, whichever occurs first. (In other words, the maximum number of times that children of a REPEAT will execute when Count is > -1, is Count+1.)

If “Repeat on” is set to… The REPEAT step fails if…

SUCCESS A child within the REPEAT block fails.

FAILURE The Count limit is reached before its children execute successfully.

The REPEAT Step


Using REPEAT to Retry a Failed StepIf your flow invokes services that access external systems, you can use the REPEAT step to accommodate network errors, such as busy servers or connection errors, at run time. If you use the REPEAT step for this purpose, keep the following points in mind:

The following types of failures satisfy the FAILURE condition:

Expiration of a child step’s Timeout limit

An exception thrown by a Java service

A document query that returns an unpermitted null value

If you specify multiple children under a REPEAT step, the failure of any one of the children will cause the entire set of children to be re-executed.

The REPEAT step immediately exits a set of children at the point of failure (that is, if the second child in a set of three fails, the third child is not executed).

When Repeat on is set to FAILURE, the failure of a child within a REPEAT step does not cause the REPEAT step itself to fail unless the Count limit is also reached.

The Timeout property for the REPEAT step specifies the amount of time in which the entire REPEAT step, including all of its possible iterations, must complete. When you use REPEAT to retry on failure, you may want to leave the Timeout value at 0 (no limit) or set it to a very high value. You can also set the property to the value of a pipeline variable by typing the name of the variable between % symbols.

As a developer, you must be thoroughly familiar with the processes you include within a REPEAT step. Make certain that the child steps you specify can safely be repeated in the event that a failure occurs. You don’t want to use REPEAT if there is the possibility that a single action, such as accepting an order or crediting an account balance, could be applied twice.

1 If you are inserting a REPEAT step into an existing flow service, display that service in the editor and highlight the step immediately above where you want the REPEAT step inserted.



To build a REPEAT step that re-executes failed steps






Timeout The maximum number of seconds that this step should run. If this time elapses before the step completes, the server waits for the step to complete and then raises an exception.



Label An optional name for this specific REPEAT step, or a null, unmatched, or empty string ($null, $default, blank).

Important! If you use this step as a target for a BRANCH or EXIT step, you must specify a value in the Label property. For more information about the BRANCH and EXIT steps, see “The BRANCH Step” on page 166 or “The EXIT Step” on page 188.

Count The maximum number of times you want the children to be re-executed. If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols (for example, %servicecount%).

If you want the children re-executed until they are all successful (that is, no maximum limit), set this value to –1.

Repeat interval The length of time (in seconds) that you want the server to wait between iterations of the children.

If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols (for example, %waittime%).

Repeat on FAILURE

The REPEAT Step


4 Beneath the REPEAT step, use the following steps to insert each step that you want to repeat:


b Indent that flow step using on the editor toolbar. (Make it a child of the REPEAT step.)

c Set the properties for the child step as needed.

Using REPEAT to Retry a Successful StepApart from using REPEAT to retry a failed step, you can also use it as a looping device to repeat a series of steps until a failure occurs.

If you use the REPEAT step to re-execute successful child steps, keep the following points in mind:

The success condition is met if all children of the REPEAT step execute without returning a single exception.

If one child in the set fails, the REPEAT step exits at the point of failure, leaving the remaining children unexecuted.

The failure of a child does not cause the REPEAT step to fail; it merely ends the loop. (In this case, the REPEAT step itself succeeds and execution of the flow proceeds normally).

1 If you are inserting a REPEAT step into an existing flow service, display that service in the editor and highlight the step immediately above where you want the REPEAT step inserted.



To build a REPEAT step that repeats a set of successful steps






4 Beneath the REPEAT step, use the following steps to insert each step that you want repeat:


b Indent that flow step using on the editor toolbar to make it a child of the REPEAT step.


Timeout The maximum number of seconds that this step should run.If this time elapses before the step completes, the server waits for the step to complete and then raises an exception.



Label An optional name for this specific step, or a null, unmatched, or empty string ($null, $default, blank).

Important! If you use this step as a target for a BRANCH or EXIT step, you must specify a value in the label property. For more information about the BRANCH and EXIT steps, see “The BRANCH Step” on page 166 or “The EXIT Step” on page 188.

Count The maximum number of times you want the children to be re-executed. If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols (for example, %servicecount%).

If you want the children re-executed until any one of them fails (that is, no maximum limit), set this value to –1.

Repeat interval The length of time (in seconds) that you want the server to wait between iterations of the children.

If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols (for example, %waittime%).

Repeat on SUCCESS


The SEQUENCE Step


The SEQUENCE StepYou use the SEQUENCE step to build a set of steps that you want to treat as a group. Steps in a group are executed in order, one after another. By default, all steps in a flow service, except for children of a BRANCH step, are executed as though they were members of an implicit SEQUENCE step (that is, they execute in order, one after another). However, there are times when it is useful to explicitly group a set of steps. The most common reasons to do this are:

To group a set of steps as a single alternative beneath a BRANCH step. For details about this use of the SEQUENCE step, see “Using SEQUENCE as the Target of a BRANCH” on page 173.

To specify the conditions under which the server will exit a sequence of steps without executing the entire set.

Using SEQUENCE to Specify an Exit Condit ionIn an implicit sequence, when a step fails, the server automatically exits the sequence (that is, the Exit on property is set to FAILURE). By grouping steps into an explicit sequence, you can override this default behavior and specify the condition on which the sequence exits. To do this, you set the Exit on parameter as follows:

If you want the server to… Set “Exit on” to…

Exit the sequence when a step in the sequence fails. (Execution continues with the next flow step in the flow service.) This is the default behavior of a sequence of steps.

This setting is useful if you have a series of steps that build upon one another. For example, if you have a set of steps that gets an authorization code and then submits a PO, you will want to skip the PO submission if the authorization step fails.

When a SEQUENCE exits under this condition, the SEQUENCE step fails.

Note: When a SEQUENCE step exits on failure, the Integration Server rolls back the pipeline contents. That is, the Integration Server returns the pipeline to the state it was in before the SEQUENCE step executed.

FAILURE



The LOOP StepThe LOOP step repeats a sequence of child steps once for each element in an array that you specify. For example, if your pipeline contains an array of purchase-order line items, you could use a LOOP step to process each line item in the array.

To specify the sequence of steps that make up the body of the loop (that is, the set of steps you want the LOOP to repeat), you indent those steps beneath the LOOP as shown in the following example.

Exit the sequence when any step in the sequence succeeds. (Execution continues with the next step in the flow service.)

This setting is useful for building a set of alternative steps that are each attempted at run time. Once one of the members of the set runs successfully, the remaining steps in the sequence are skipped.

When a SEQUENCE exits under this condition, the server considers the SEQUENCE step successful, even if all its children fail. If a child fails under this condition, any changes that it made to the pipeline are rolled back (undone), and processing continues with the next child step in the SEQUENCE.

SUCCESS

Execute every step in the sequence even if one of the steps in the sequence fails.

The server considers a SEQUENCE step successful as long as it executes all of its children within the specified time-out limit. The success or failure of a child within the sequence is not taken into consideration. If a child fails under this condition, any changes that it made to the pipeline are rolled back (undone), and processing continues with the next child step in the SEQUENCE.

DONE

If you want the server to… Set “Exit on” to…

Note: Rollback operations are performed on the first level of the pipeline only. That is, first-level variables are restored to their original values before the step failed, but the server does not roll back changes to any documents to which the first-level variables refer.

Note: A failure in a MAP step (that is, a failure in one of the transformers) will cause the containing SEQUENCE to exit when you set Exit on to FAILURE. However, a MAP step that does not fail will not cause the containing SEQUENCE to exit when you set Exit on to SUCCESS. That is, a MAP can fail but it does not “succeed.”

The LOOP Step


Simple LOOP step

You may include any valid flow step within the body of a LOOP, including additional LOOP steps. The following example shows a pair of nested LOOPs. Note how the indentation of the steps determines the LOOP to which they belong.

Nested LOOP steps

Specifying the Input ArrayThe LOOP step requires you to specify an input array that contains the individual elements that will be used as input to one or more steps in the LOOP. At run time, the LOOP step executes one pass of the loop for each member in the specified array. For example, if you want to execute a LOOP for each line item stored in a purchase order, you would use the document list in which the order’s line items are stored as the LOOP’s input array.

The body of the loopmust be indented

beneath the LOOPstep.

The entire LOOP stepis a child of the

outer LOOP.



You specify the name of the input array on the LOOP step’s Properties panel. The array you specify can be any of the following data types:

String list

String table

Document list

Object list

LOOP properties

When you design your flow, remember that because the services within the loop operate against individual elements in the specified input array, they must be designed to take elements of the array as input, not the entire array.

For example, if your LOOP executes against a document list called LineItems that contains children called Item, Qty, and UnitPrice, you would specify LineItems as the Input array for the LOOP step, but services within the loop would take the individual elements of LineItems (for example, Item, Qty, UnitPrice, and so forth) as input.

Collecting Output from a LOOP StepIf your LOOP step produces an output variable, the server can collect that output into an array in the pipeline.

To do this, you use the Output array parameter to specify the name of the array variable into which you want the server to collect output for each iteration of the loop. For example, if your loop checks inventory status of each line item in a purchase order and produces a String called InventoryStatus each time it executes, you would specify InventoryStatus as the value of Output array. At run time, the server will automatically transform InventoryStatus to an array variable that contains the output from each iteration of the loop.

To collect output from each pass of the loop, specify the name of the output variable that you want the server to collect for each iteration.

The LOOP stepexecutes once for each

member of the arrayspecified in Input array.

The LOOP Step


Building a LOOP StepUse the following procedure to build a LOOP step in a flow service.

1 If you are inserting a LOOP step into an existing flow service, display that service in the editor and select the step immediately above where you want the LOOP step inserted.



To build a LOOP step

For this property… Specify…



Timeout The maximum number of seconds that this step should run.If this time elapses before the step completes, the server waits for the step to complete and then raises an exception.



Label An optional name for this specific LOOP step, or a null, unmatched, or empty string ($null, $default, blank).

Important! If you use this step as a target for a BRANCH or EXIT step, you must specify a value in the Label property. For more information about the BRANCH and EXIT steps, see “The BRANCH Step” on page 166 or “The EXIT Step” on page 188.

Input array The name of the array variable on which the LOOP will operate. This variable must be one of the following types: String list, String table, Document list, Object list.



4 Build the body of the loop using the following steps:


b Indent the flow step using on the editor toolbar to make it a child of the LOOP step.


5 Use the Pipeline tab to link the elements of the input array to the input variables required by each child of the LOOP step. For more information about using the Pipeline tab, see Chapter 8, “Mapping Data in a Flow Service”.

The EXIT StepThe EXIT flow step allows you to exit the entire flow service or a single flow step. You specify whether you want to exit from:

The nearest ancestor (parent) LOOP or REPEAT flow step to the EXIT flow step.

The parent flow step of the EXIT flow step.

A specified ancestor flow step to the EXIT flow step.

The entire flow service.

When you use the EXIT step, you indicate whether exiting should return a successful condition or a failure condition. If the exit is considered a failure, an exception is thrown. You can specify the text of the error message that is displayed by typing it directly or by assigning it to a variable in the pipeline.

Output array The name of the element that you want the server to collect each time the LOOP executes. You do not need to specify this property if the loop does not produce output values or if you are collecting the elements of Input array.


Important! When you build a LOOP step, make sure that you specify the output array variable in the LOOP Output array property before creating a link to the output array variable within a MAP or INVOKE step in the body of the LOOP. If you specify the output array variable after creating a link to it, the link will fail at run time. You can test the step in Developer to see if the link succeeds. If the link fails, delete the link to the output array variable and then recreate it.

The EXIT Step


Examples of when to use the EXIT step include to:

Exit an entire flow service from within a series of deeply nested steps.

Throw an exception when you exit a flow or a flow step without having to write a Java service to call Service.throwError( ).

Exit a LOOP or REPEAT flow step without throwing an exception.

The following flow service contains two EXIT steps that, if executed, will exit the nearest ancestor LOOP step. If the value of CreditCardType is null or an empty string, the matching EXIT step executes and exits the LOOP over the '/PurchaseOrdersList' step.

Use the EXIT step to exit the nearest ancestor LOOP step

1 If you are inserting an EXIT step into an existing flow service, display that service in the editor and select the step immediately above where you want the EXIT step inserted.



This LOOP exitswhen....

...CreditCardType isnull...

...or empty.

To build an EXIT step



Label An optional name for this specific step, or a null, unmatched, or empty string ($null, $default, blank).



Important! If you use this step as a target for a BRANCH step, you must specify a value in the Label property. For more information about the BRANCH step, see “The BRANCH Step” on page 166.

Exit from The flow step from which you want to exit. Specify one of the following:

Specify To exit from the...

$loop Nearest ancestor LOOP or REPEAT flow step.

$parent Parent flow step, regardless of the type of step.

$flow Entire flow.

Label Nearest ancestor flow step that has a label that matches this value.

Note: If the label you specify does not match the label of an ancestor flow step, the flow will exit with an exception.

Signal Whether the exit is to be considered a success or a failure. Specify one of the following:

Specify… To…

SUCCESS Exit the flow service or flow step with a success condition.

FAILURE Exit the flow service or flow step with a failure condition. An exception is thrown after the exit. You specify the error message with the Failure message property.

Failure message The text of the exception message you want to display. If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols (for example, %mymessage%).

This property is not used when Signal is set to SUCCESS.


The MAP Step


The MAP StepThe MAP step lets you adjust the contents of the pipeline at any point in a flow service. When you build a MAP step, you can:

Prepare the pipeline for use by a subsequent step in the flow service by linking, adding, and dropping variables in the pipeline.

Clean up the pipeline after a preceding step by removing fields that the step added but are not needed by subsequent steps.

Move variables or assign values to variables in the pipeline.

Initialize the input values for a flow service.

Invoke several services (transformers) in a single step.

Map documents form one format to another. For example, you can map a document in an XML format to an ebXML format or a proprietary format.

For more information about the MAP step, see Chapter 8, “Mapping Data in a Flow Service”.

Tip! The MAP step is especially useful for hard coding an initial set of input values in a flow service. To use it in this way, insert the MAP step at the beginning of your flow, and then use the Set Value modifier to assign values to the appropriate variables in Pipeline Out.


C H A P T E R 8Mapping Data in a Flow Service

What is Data Mapping? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

What Does the Pipeline Tab Contain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Basic Mapping Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Working with Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

C H A P T E R 8 M a p p i n g D a t a i n a F l o w S e r v i c e


What is Data Mapping?Data mapping is the process of performing transformations to resolve data representation differences between services or document formats. By mapping, you can accomplish the following types of data transformations:

Name transformations where different variable names represent the same data item. For example, one service or document format might use Telephone as the name of the variable for telephone number information and another might use PhoneNumber. When you perform name transformations, the value and position of a variable in the document (IData object) structure remain the same, but the name of the variable changes.

Structural transformations where different data structures represent a data item. For example, one service or document format might put the telephone number in a string called Telephone, and the next may expect to find it in an element of a document (IData object) array called CustInfo. When you perform structural transformations, the value of the variable remains the same, but the data type or position of the variable in the document (IData object) structure changes.

Value transformations where different formats represent the same value. This occurs commonly with date and time variables, where, for instance, one variable might use “01/01/99” and another “January 1, 1999.” In other cases, your services or document formats might use different notations for standard codes or values, different currency units, or a different system of weights and measures (metric instead of the U.S. Customary or British Imperial systems). When you perform value transformations, the name and position of the variable remain the same, but the data contained in the variable changes. (For example, you can change the format of a date, concatenate two strings, or add the values of two variables together.)

When you build flow services or convert between document formats, you may need to perform one, two, or all of the above types of data transformation. The webMethods flow language provides two ways for you to accomplish data transformations between services and document formats: you can map variables to each other (create links) or you can insert transformers.

webMethods Developer provides a graphical environment in which you can perform data mapping between variables and formats, which is the Pipeline tab.

What Does the Pipel ine Tab Contain?The Pipeline tab offers a graphical representation of all of your data through which you can map data and inspect the contents of the pipeline. You use the tools on this tab to route variables (data) between services or between document formats.

The Pipeline tab displays in the editor for invoked services (INVOKE steps) or MAP steps in a flow service. The contents of this tab for INVOKE steps are slightly different than for MAP steps.

What Does the Pipeline Tab Contain?


Pipeline Tab for an INVOKE StepFor an INVOKE step, the Pipeline tab depicts two stages of the pipeline with respect to the selected service in the editor.

Pipeline tab for an INVOKE step (service) The Pipeline tab

depicts the service’sinput and output with

respect to theexpected pipeline. 1 2

This stage... Represents...

1 The expected state of the pipeline just before the selected service executes.

Pipeline In depicts the set of variables that are expected to be in the pipeline before the service executes (based on the declared input and output parameters of the preceding services).

Service In depicts the set of variables the selected service expects as input (as defined by its input parameters).

On the Pipeline tab, you can insert “pipeline modifiers” at this stage to adjust the contents of the pipeline to suit the requirements of the service. For example, you can link variables, assign values to variables, drop variables from the pipeline, or add variables to the pipeline. Modifications that you specify during this stage are performed immediately before the service executes at run time.



2 The expected state of the pipeline just after the service executes.

Service Out depicts the set of variables that the selected service produces as output (as defined by its output parameters).

Pipeline Out depicts the set of variables that are expected to be in the pipeline after the service executes. It represents the set of variables that will be available to the next service in the flow. If the selected service (INVOKE step) is the last step in the flow service, Pipeline Out displays the output variables for the flow service (as declared on the Input/Output tab).

On the Pipeline tab, you can insert “pipeline modifiers” at this stage to adjust the contents of the pipeline. For example, you can link variables, assign values to variables, drop variables from the pipeline, or add variables to the pipeline. Modifications that you specify during this stage are performed immediately after the service executes at run time.

This stage... Represents...

Note: Developer displays small symbols next to a variable icon to indicate validation constraints. Developer uses to indicate an optional variable. Developer uses the ‡ symbol to denote a variable with a content constraint. For information about applying constraints to variables, see “Applying Constraints to Variables” on page 261.

What Does the Pipeline Tab Contain?


Pipeline Tab for a MAP StepFor a MAP step, the Pipeline tab displays a single stage of the pipeline. The Pipeline tab contains two sets of variables: Pipeline In and Pipeline Out. Between these sets of variables, the Pipeline tab contains a column named Transformers.

Pipeline tab for a MAP step

The Pipeline In column represents input to the MAP step. It contains the names of all of the variables in the pipeline at this point in the flow.

The Transformers column displays any services inserted in the MAP step to complete value transformations. For more information about invoking services in a MAP step, see “Inserting a Transformer into a MAP Step” on page 222.

The Pipeline Out column represents the output of the MAP step. It contains the names of variables that will be available in the pipeline when the MAP step completes.

When you first insert a MAP step into your flow, Pipeline In and Pipeline Out are identical. However, if the MAP step is the only step in the flow service or is the last step in the flow service, Pipeline Out also displays the variables declared as output in the flow service.

On the Pipeline tab, you can insert “pipeline modifiers” to adjust the contents of the pipeline. For example, you can link variables from Pipeline In to services in Transformers. You can also use pipeline modifiers to assign values to pipeline variables, drop variables from the pipeline, or add variables to the pipeline.



Pipel ine Modif iersPipeline modifiers are special commands that you apply to adjust the pipeline at run time. They execute immediately before or after the selected service or transformer, depending on where you add them on the Pipeline tab. Use the following buttons to add pipeline modifiers to the pipeline:

Printing the Pipeline TabThe following procedure describes how to use the View as HTML command to produce a printable version of the Pipeline tab.

1 Open the flow service for which you want to print the Pipeline tab.

2 In the editor, select the INVOKE or MAP step for which you want to print the Pipeline tab.

3 Click anywhere on the Pipeline tab.

4 Scroll or resize the Pipeline tab to display the portion of the pipeline you want to view as HTML.

Use this modifier... To...

Link

Link a pipeline variable to a service variable. The Link modifier lets you resolve variable-name and data-structure differences by “linking” (copying) the value of one variable to another at run time. For information about using this pipeline modifier, see “Linking Variables” on page 199.

Drop

Drop a variable from the pipeline. The Drop modifier removes extraneous variables from the pipeline. For information about using this pipeline modifier, see “Dropping Variables from the Pipeline” on page 218.

Set Value

Assign a value to a variable. The Set Value modifier “hard codes” a value for a variable. For information about this pipeline modifier, see “Assigning Values to Pipeline Variables” on page 214.

Note: When you view the Pipeline tab as HTML, the resulting HTML page displays only the portion of the pipeline that is visible within the tab. Before you select the View as HTML command, make sure the Pipeline tab displays the part of the pipeline that you want to view as HTML.

To print the Pipeline tab

Basic Mapping Tasks


5 On the File menu, click View as HTML.

Developer creates an HTML page and displays it in your default browser.

6 If you want to print the pipeline, use your browser's print command.

Basic Mapping TasksBasic mapping tasks are the tasks you perform to manage the pipeline contents and the values of variables in the pipeline. On the Pipeline tab, you can perform the following basic mapping tasks:

Link variables to each other. You can copy the value of a variable in one service or document format to a variable in another service or document format.

Assign values to variables. You can hard code variable values or assign a default value to variables.

Drop variables from the pipeline. You can remove pipeline variables that are not used by subsequent services in a flow.

Add variables to the pipeline. You can add variables that were not declared as input or output parameters of the flow service. You can also add input and output variables for services that the flow service invokes (internally invoked services).

The following table identifies the sections that describe the basic mapping tasks.

Linking VariablesWhen you want to copy the value of a variable in a service or document format to another variable, you link the variables. Developer connects service and pipeline variables on the Pipeline tab with a line called a link. Creating a link between variables copies the value from one variable to another at run time.

For more information about... See page...

Linking variables 199

Linking variables of different data types 207

Linking to and from array variables 209

Deleting links between variables 212

Applying conditions to links between variables 213

Assigning values to pipeline variables 214

Dropping variables from the pipeline 218

Adding variables to the pipeline 219

Searching for variables in an editor tree 61



Within a flow, Developer implicitly links variables whose names are the same and whose data types are compatible. For example, the service in the following flow takes a variable called AcctNumber. Because a variable by this name already exists in Pipeline In, it is automatically linked to the AcctNumber variable in Service In. Developer connects implicitly linked variables with a gray link.

Implicit links between pipeline and service variables

In cases where the services in a flow do not use the same names for a piece of information, use the Pipeline tab to explicitly link the variables to each other. Explicit linking is how you accomplish name and structure transformations required in a flow. Developer connects explicitly linked variables with a solid black line.

On the input side of the Pipeline tab, use the Link modifier to link a variable from the pipeline to the service. In the following example, the service expects a value called OrderTotal, which is equivalent to the pipeline variable BuyersTotal (that is, they are simply different names for the same data). To use the value of BuyersTotal as the value for OrderTotal, you “link” the pipeline variable to the service using the Link modifier.

At run time, the server will copy the value from the source variable (BuyersTotal) to the target variable (OrderTotal) before executing the service.

Pipeline variables areautomatically linked to

service variables of thesame name.

Important! The Pipeline tab does not display implicit links for a MAP step.

Basic Mapping Tasks


Linking the pipeline to service input

All the output variables that a service produces are automatically placed in the pipeline. Just as you can link variables from the Pipeline In stage to a service’s input variables, you can link the output from a service to a different variable in Pipeline Out.

In the following example, a variable called TransNumber is linked to the field Num in a document called TransactionRecord. At run time, the server will copy the value of TransNumber to Num, and both TransNumber and Num will be available to subsequent services in the flow.

When a pipeline variablename is different from theone used by the service,use the Link modifier to

connect them.

Important! Do not link variables with different Object constraints. If you link variables with different object constraints and input/output validation is selected, the run-time result is undefined.



Linking service output to the pipeline

When you link variables in the pipeline, keep the following points in mind:

The variable that you are linking from is the source. For example, when you link a variable in Pipeline In to one in Service In, the Pipeline In variable is the source. When you link a variable in Service Out to one in Pipeline Out, the Service Out variable is the source.

The variable you are linking to is the target. For example, when you link a variable in Pipeline In to one in Service In, the Service In variable is the target. When you link a variable in Service Out to one in Pipeline Out, the Pipeline Out variable is the target.

A Service In variable can be the target of more than one Link modifier only if you use array indexing or if you place conditions on the links to the variable.

By linking variables to each other, you are copying data from the source variable to the target variable. (Documents, however, are copied by reference. For more information, see “What Happens When webMethods Integration Server Executes a Link Between Variables at Run Time?” on page 204.)

Target variables can be connected to only one source variable. After you draw a link to a target variable, you cannot draw another link to the target variable. (Two exceptions to this rule involve array variables and conditional links. For more information about linking array variables, see “Linking to and from Array Variables” on page 209. For more information about placing conditions on links between variables, see “Applying Conditions to Links Between Variables” on page 213.

When an output variable name is different from the name in the pipeline, use the Link modifier to connect them.

Developer automatically adds a service’s output variables to the pipeline and implicitly links them.

Basic Mapping Tasks


You cannot create a link to a variable if you already used the Set Value modifier to assign a value to a variable.

After a Link modifier is executed, both the source and target variables exist in the pipeline. The target variable does not replace the source variable.

1 In the editor, select the INVOKE or MAP step containing the variables you want to link.

2 Click the Pipeline tab.

3 If you want to create a link between a variable in Pipeline In and one in Service In, do the following:

a In Pipeline In, click the pipeline variable you want to use as the source variable.

b In Service In, click the input variable you want to use as the target variable.

c Click on the toolbar.

4 If you want to create a link between a variable in Service Out and one in Pipeline Out, do the following:

a In Service Out, click the output variable you want to use as the source variable.

b In Pipeline Out, click the pipeline variable you want to use as the target variable.

c Click on the toolbar.

Notes:

If the variable types are incompatible and cannot be linked to one another, Developer displays a message stating that the operation is not allowed.

If you created a link to or from an array variable, you must specify which element in the array you are linking to or from. For more information about array linking, see “Linking to and from Array Variables” on page 209.

If you want to place a condition on the execution of the link, see “Applying Conditions to Links Between Variables” on page 213.

Do not link variables with different Object constraints. If you link variables with different object constraints and input/output validation is selected, the run-time result is undefined.

To create a link between variables

Tip! You can also use your mouse to link variables to one another. To do this, select the source variable and drag your mouse to the appropriate target variable.



What Happens When webMethods Integration Server Executes a Link Between Variables at Run Time?When executing a link between variables at run time, the Integration Server does one of the following:

Copies the value from the source variable to the target variable. For example, when you link a source String variable to a target String variable, webMethods Integration Server copies the value of the source String to the target String. This is called “copying by value.”

Creates a reference to the source variable and uses the reference as the value of the target variable. For example, when executing a link between a source document and a target document, webMethods Integration Server creates a reference to the source document value and uses the reference as the value of the target document. This is called “copying by reference.”

The Integration Server copies by value when the source or target variable is a String. (An exception to this behavior is that when executing a link from a String to an Object, the Integration Server copies by reference.)

When executing links between all other types of variables, the Integration Server copies by reference. Copying by reference significantly reduces the memory and time required for executing a link at run time.

When a value is copied by reference, any changes you make to the value of the source variable in subsequent flow steps affect the target variable. This is because the value of the source variable is the value of the target variable. The target variable does not contain a copy of the source variable value. If, in a later flow step, you used the Set Value modifier to assign a value to the source variable, you would be changing the value of the target variable as well. (The target variable references the value of the source variable.)

The following images show a series of MAP steps in a flow service. In this example, the value of the source variable is changed after the link to the target variable executes. This action changes the value of the target variable as well.

Tip! To scroll through the Pipeline In and Pipeline Out trees independently, display the

left-hand scroll bar. Click to display the left-hand scroll bar. Click to hide the left-hand scroll bar. The left-hand scroll bar is only available on the Pipeline tab for a MAP step. When you expand a transformer, Developer hides the left-hand scroll bar automatically.

Basic Mapping Tasks


Step 1: The value of String1 is set to “original value”

Step 2: Document1 is linked to Document2

Step 3: The value of String1 is changed to “modified” after the link executes

The value of String1 is setto “original value”.

Document1 is linked toDocument2. After the link

executes, the value ofDocument2 is a reference

to the contents ofDocument1.

The value of String1 ischanged to “modified”.

This action changes thevalue of the string inDocument2 as well.



When this flow service executes, it returns the following results.

Results of flow service

In Step 3, the value of the String1 in Document1 was set to “modified.” However, the value of String1 in Document2 changed also. This is because in Step 2 of the flow service, the value of Document1 was copied to Document2 by reference. Changes to the value of Document1 in later flow steps also change the value of Document2.

To prevent the value of the target variable from being overwritten by changes to the value of the source value in subsequent steps in the flow service, you can do one of the following:

When working with document variables, link each child of the document variable individually. This method can be time consuming and might significantly increase the memory and time required to run the service. However, this might be the best approach if the target document variable needs only a few values from the source document variable.

After you link the source variable to a target variable, use the Drop modifier to drop the source variable. Only the target variable will have the reference to the data. This method ensures that the value of the target variable will not be overwritten in a subsequent step, but does not increase the memory and time required to execute the service.

Create a service that performs a copy by value. Insert this service (as an INVOKE step or as a transformer) and link the variables to the service instead of linking them to each other. (In the case of document variables, you could create a Java service that clones the IData object underlying the document.) In situations where you link one document variable to another, using a “cloning” service would require less time than linking the contents of a document variable field by field.

Linking to Document and Document List VariablesWhen working with document variables in the pipeline, you can link a source variable to the document variable or to the children of the document variable. Keep the following points in mind when linking to document or document list variables:

A document (or a document list) and its children cannot both be targets. After a document or document list is the target of a Link modifier, its children cannot be the targets of Link modifiers.

The String1 inDocument1 and the

String1 in Document2have the same valuebecause Document1

was copied toDocument2 by

reference.

Basic Mapping Tasks


After the child variable of a document or document list is the target of a Link modifier, the parent document or document list cannot be a target of a Link modifier.

If you link from a document variable to another document variable, the structure of the source document variable overwrites the structure of the target document variable.

Linking Variables of Different Data TypesOn the Pipeline tab, you can link different, but compatible, data types to one another. For example, you could link a String value called AccountNumber to a String list called Accounts. At run time, the server automatically performs the structural transformation necessary to link the data in AccountNumber to Accounts. (In this case, the transformation will result in a single-element String list.) By linking different data types to one another, you can perform structural transformations.

If you link variables of different data types, keep the following points in mind:

Not all data types can be linked to one another. You cannot link a document (IData object) to a String, for instance. If two data types are incompatible, Developer will not allow you to connect them with the Link modifier.

You can only link a variable to another variable of the same primitive type. The primitive type refers to the data type of the variable when all dimensionality is removed. For example, the primitive type for a String list or a String table would be String. Two exceptions to this rule are: any variable can be linked to an Object or an Object list variable, and an Object can be linked to any data type. (If there is a type mismatch between the Object or Object list and the other variable at run time, the Integration Server does not execute the link.)

Object and Object list variables constrained with an assigned Java class should be linked only to other Object and Object list variables of the same Java class or to Object and Object list variables of unknown type. Although Developer permits a link between constrained Objects with different Java classes, the run-time result is undefined. For more information about specifying Java classes for Objects, see “Java Classes for Objects” on page 421.

When you link between scalar and array variables, you can specify which element of the array variable you want to link to or from. Scalar variables are those that hold a single value, such as String, document, and Object. Array variables are those that hold multiple values, such as String list, String table, document list, and Object list. For example, you can link a String to the second element of a String list. Alternatively, you can link the second element in a String list to a String. For more information about linking array variables, see “Linking to and from Array Variables” on page 209.

When you link between scalar and array variables and you do not specify which element in the array variable that you want to link to or from, Developer uses the default behavior to determine the value of the target variable. For more information



about the default behavior for linking array variables, see “Default Pipeline Rules for Linking to and from Array Variables” on page 424.

Examples of Structural Transformations on the Pipeline Tab

The structural transformations you can perform by linking variables on the Pipeline tab can be more complex than transforming a String to a String list. For example, you can combine two String lists into one document list through linking. The following section explains a common structural transformation that you can complete via linking in the pipeline.

Converting a String List to a Document List

You can convert a String list to a document list using the Pipeline tab. In the following diagram, aList is the String list you want to convert to a document list. The variable documentList is the document list to which you want to copy the values contained in the String list. documentList has a String child aString. To convert the String list to a document list, link aList to aString.

Converting a String list to a document list

Two String lists can be combined into one document list through data mapping in the pipeline. For example, if in the above scenario you also had a String list variable named bList, and documentList had two String children named aString and bString, you could combine the two String lists by linking aList to aString and bList to bString.

Basic Mapping Tasks


Converting two String lists to a document list

Linking to and from Array VariablesWhen you link to or from an array variable (String list, String table, document list, or Object list), you can specify which element in the array you want to link to or from. After you link the variables, you specify the index that represents the position of the element in the array.

For String lists and Object lists, you can specify the index for the list element you want to link. For example, you can link the third element in a String list to a String.

For String tables, you can specify the row and column indexes for the cells you want to link. For example, you can link the value of the element in the third column of the second row of a String table to a String.

For document lists, you can specify the index for the document that you want to link. For example, you can link the second document in a document list to a document variable.

For a variable in a document list, you can specify the index of the document that contains the value that you want to link to or from. For example, if the document list POItems contains the String ItemNumber, you can link the ItemNumber value from the second POItems document to a String variable.

For example, suppose that a buyer’s address information is initially stored in a String list. However, the information might be easier to work with if it were stored in a document. To map the information in the String list to a document, create a link between the String list and each field in the document. Then, specify an index value for each link. In the

Tip! You can also convert a String list to a document list (IData[ ] object) by invoking the built-in service pub.list:stringListToDocumentList. You can insert the service as an INVOKE step or as a transformer. For more information about transformers, see “What Are Transformers?” on page 220. For more information about built-in services, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.



following pipeline, the elements in buyerAddress String list are mapped to the address document.

You can specify an index value when linking to or from an array variable

To specify the index for the element in the buyerAddress variable to be copied to the FirstName field, select the link between the variables, click the Indices property’s Edit button in the Properties panel to specify the index.

If the source or target variable is an array, Developer displays a text box next to the variable (in this case, buyerAddress). If the source or target variable is not an array, Developer displays the words “Field not indexable” next to the variable name (in this case, FirstName). For example, if you want to link the first element of the buyerAddress variable to the FirstName field in address, type 0 in the field next to buyerAddress. (Index numbering in arrays begins at 0.)

You can specify the indexfor the element in

buyerAddress that youwant to link to each field

in address.

Note: Developer uses blue links on the Pipeline tab to indicate that properties (conditions or index values for arrays) have been applied to the link between variables.

Basic Mapping Tasks


Link indices

Guidelines for Linking to and from Array Variables

When you are linking to or from an array variable, keep the following points in mind:

To link to or from an element in an array variable, you need to know the index for the element’s position in the array. Array index numbering begins at 0 (the first element in the array has an index of 0, the second element has an index of 1, and so on).

To dynamically specify the index, you can set the index to the value of a pipeline variable. The variable you specify must be a String. To use a pipeline variable, specify the variable name enclosed in percent signs (%). For example, if the pipeline contains the variable itemNumber that will contain the index you want to use at run time, specify %itemNumber% for the index. For the link to execute successfully at run time, the value of the variable must be a non-negative integer.

If you link to an array variable and specify an index that does not exist, Developer increases the length of the array to include the specified array index. For example, suppose that a String list has length 3. You can link to the String list and specify an index of 4; that is, you can link to the fifth position in the String list. At run time, the Integration Server increases the length of the String list from 3 to 5.

Each element in an array can be the source or target of a Link modifier; that is, each element in the array can be the start or end of a link. For example, if a source String list variable contains three elements, you can link each of the three elements to a target variable.

If the source and target variables are arrays, you can specify an index for each variable. For example, you can link the third element in a source String list to the fifth element in target String list.

If you do not specify an array index for an element when linking to or from arrays, the default behavior of the Pipeline tab will be used. For information about the default behavior of the Pipeline tab, see “Default Pipeline Rules for Linking to and from Array Variables” on page 424.

Indicates the index of the element in the buyerAddress String list that you want to copy to the FirstName field.

Indicates the target variable is not an array.



If you are linking to or from a String table, you need to specify an index value for the row and column.

When you link a document or document list variable to another document or document list variable, the structure of the source variable determines the structure of the target variable. For more information, see “Linking to Document and Document List Variables” on page 206.

The following procedure explains how to link to or from an array variable.

1 Create a link between the variables using the procedure described in “To create a link between variables” on page 203.

2 Click the link that connects the variables.

3 On the Properties panel, click the Indices property’s Edit button. Developer displays the Link Indices dialog box.

4 If the source variable is an array variable, under Source, next to the source variable name, type the index that contains the value you want to link.

5 If the target variable is an array variable, under Destination, next to the destination variable name, type the index to which you want to link the source value.

6 Click OK.

Deleting Links Between VariablesUse the following procedure to delete the link created between variables. When you delete the link, the variables are no longer linked. Developer also deletes any properties you applied to the link.

1 On the Pipeline tab, select the link that you want to delete.


To create a link to or from an array variable

Note: At run time, the link (copy) fails if the source array index contains a null value or if you specify an invalid source or target index (such as a letter or non-numeric character). The Integration Server generates journal log messages (at debug level 6 or higher) when links to or from array variables fail.

To delete a link between variables

Tip! You can also delete a link by selecting it and then clicking on the Pipeline tab toolbar or pressing the DELETE key.

Basic Mapping Tasks


Applying Conditions to Links Between VariablesYou can place conditions on the links you draw between variables. At run time, webMethods Integration Server evaluates the condition and executes the link (copies the value) only if the condition evaluates to true.

A condition consists of one or more expressions that you write using the syntax that Developer provides. An expression can check for the existence of a variable in the pipeline, check for the value of a variable, or compare a variable to another variable. For example, in the following service, you might want to link the BuyersTotal variable in Pipeline In to the OrderTotal variable in Service In only if the BuyersTotal has a value that is not null. After you connect the two variables with the Link modifier, you would edit the properties and add the condition that needs to be true.

A blue link indicates that a condition is applied to the link connecting the variables

Developer uses a blue link on the Pipeline tab to indicate that properties (that is, conditions or index values for arrays) have been applied to a link between variables.

Linking Multiple Source Variables to a Target Variable

By applying conditions to the links between variables, you can link more than one source variable to the same target variable. When you draw more than one link to the same target variable, at most, only one of the conditions you apply to the links can be true at run time. The conditions must be mutually exclusive.

At run time, webMethods Integration Server executes all conditional links whose conditions evaluate to true. If more than one conditional link to the same target variable

Use the Propertiespanel to view or createa condition for the link.

Note: You cannot add conditions to the links between implicitly linked variables.



evaluates to true, the value of the target variable will be the result of whichever link executes last. Because the order in which links are executed at run time is not guaranteed, the final value of the target variable may vary.

1 Create a link between the variables using the procedure described in “To create a link between variables” on page 203.

2 Click the link (black line) that connects the variables.

3 On the Properties panel, set the Evaluate copy condition property to True.

4 In the Copy condition property text box, type the condition you want to place on the link.

For information about the syntax used in conditions, see Appendix D, “Conditional Expressions”.

Assigning Values to Pipeline Variables

The Set Value modifier allows you to assign values to variables in Service In or Pipeline Out. You use it to explicitly “hard code” a specific value in a variable. You can also use it to assign a default value to a variable.

By attaching a Set Value modifier to a variable, you instruct the server to write a specific value to that variable at run time. This action occurs just before the selected service is executed (if you attach the modifier to a variable in Service In) or immediately after the selected service is executed (if you attach the modifier to a variable in Pipeline Out).

Tip! If the conditions for links to the same target variable are not mutually exclusive, consider using a flow service containing a BRANCH step instead. In BRANCH steps, child steps are evaluated in a top to bottom sequence. webMethods Integration Server executes the first child step that evaluates to true and skips the remaining child steps. For more information about the BRANCH step, see “The BRANCH Step” on page 166.

To apply a condition to the link between variables

Important! When drawing more than one link to the same target variable, make sure that the conditions assigned to each link are mutually exclusive.

Note: You can temporarily disable the condition placed on a link. For more information, see “Disabling a Condition Placed on a Link Between Variables” on page 301.

Basic Mapping Tasks


Hardcoding the value of a variable

To view (or change) the value that is assigned to the Set Value modifier, double-click the

icon next to the variable’s name to open the Input For dialog box.

Input For dialog box

Assigning a Default Value to a VariableOne common use of the Set Value modifier is to specify a default value for a variable (that is, a value that is only assigned if the variable is null at run time). To use the Set Value modifier in this way, disable the Overwrite pipeline value check box in the Input For dialog box. This instructs the server to use the specified value only when the selected variable is null.

You use the SetValue modifier to

assign a value to avariable.

Specify the value thatyou want the server to

assign to this variable atrun time.

Note: If a variable to which you assigned a default value is implicitly linked to another variable in the pipeline, Developer displays a gray link on the Pipeline tab connecting the

variables beneath the icon.



Initializing Variables in a Flow ServiceYou can use the Set Value modifier with the MAP step to hard code an initial set of input values in a flow service. To use it in this way, insert the MAP at the beginning of your flow, and then use the Set Value modifier to assign values to the appropriate variables in Pipeline Out.

Referencing Other VariablesIn addition to assigning a literal value to a variable, the Set Value modifier lets you assign the value of another String variable to a String variable. (You might do this if you wanted to derive the default value from a variable in the pipeline at run time, for example.)

To specify a variable name with the Set Value modifier, enclose the name of that variable between % symbols and then enable the Perform variable substitution option. This option instructs the server to interpret your value as a variable reference rather than a literal value.

Referencing variables

You can also format String values by specifying one or more pipeline variables in conjunction with a literal value. For example, if you specified (%areaCode%) %Phone%, the resulting string would be formatted to include the parentheses and space. If you specified %firstName% %initial%. %lastName% , the period and spacing would be included in the value.

Setting a Value for a Pipeline VariableKeep the following points in mind when assigning a value to a pipeline variable:

You can only assign values to variables that are in Service In or Pipeline Out.

If the Service In or Pipeline Out variable is already the target for a Link modifier, you cannot use the Set Value modifier to assign a value to the variable.

You can mix literal values and pipeline variables when assigning values to String variables.

You cannot assign a value to a recursive IS document type (a document type that contains a document reference to itself).

Enclose the variablename in % symbols...

...and the select thevariable-substitution

option.

Basic Mapping Tasks


When you set values for constrained Objects, Developer automatically validates the values. If the value is not of the type specified by the object constraint, Developer displays a message identifying the variable and the expected type.

You cannot set values for unconstrained Objects (Objects of unknown type) or for Objects constrained as a byte [ ].

1 In the editor, select the INVOKE or MAP step containing the variable you want to alter.


3 Select the variable to which you want to assign a value.

4 Click on the toolbar.

5 In the Input For dialog box, specify the value you want to assign to this variable.

If you want to assign a literal value to the variable, type that value. The value must be of the same data type as the variable.

If you want to derive the value from a String variable in the pipeline, type the name of that variable enclosed in % symbols (for example, %Phone%). Then select the Perform variable substitution check box.

6 If you want the server to use the specified value only if the variable does not contain a value at run time, clear the Overwrite pipeline value check box. (If you select this check box, the server will always apply the specified value.)

Copying Set Values Between VariablesYou can copy the set value assigned to a variable to other variables of the same data type in Service In or Pipeline Out. When you copy set values from one pipeline variable to another, keep the following points in mind:

You can only copy and paste set values between variables of the same data type. For example, you can only copy the set value assigned to a String variable to another String variable.

You can only copy and paste set values between variables if the target variable has the same structure as the source variable or has no defined structure. For example, you can copy the set value of a String list variable with length 3 to another String list variable only if the target String list also has length 3 or has an undefined length (no defined structure).

If you are copying a set value between document variables, the source document variable and the target document variable must have the same structure or the target document variable must have no structure defined. For example, if the source

To assign a value to a variable in the pipeline



document variable contains three String variables named City, State, and Zip as children, the target document variable must have three String variables named City, State, and Zip as children.

1 In the editor, select the INVOKE or MAP step containing the variable with the value you want to copy and paste.


3 Select the you want to copy.

4 Right-click and select Copy.

5 Select the variable or variables to which you want to assign the copied value, right-click and select Paste.

Dropping Variables from the Pipeline

The Drop pipeline modifier allows you to remove a variable from Pipeline In or Pipeline Out. You can use it to eliminate pipeline variables that are not used by subsequent services in a flow. Dropping unneeded variables reduces the size of the pipeline at run time and reduces the length and complexity of the Pipeline In and Pipeline Out displays (this can make the Pipeline tab much easier to use when you are working with a complex flow).

At run time, the server removes a dropped variable from the pipeline just before it executes the selected service (if you attach the Drop modifier to a variable in Pipeline In) or immediately after it executes the selected service (if you attach the Drop modifier to a variable in Pipeline Out).

If you drop a linked variable from Pipeline In, the server executes the Link modifier before it drops the variable. The server does not link a null value to the destination variable.

To copy a set value

Note: You can only copy and paste values for variables that are in Service In or Pipeline Out.

Note: You can only paste the set value if the target variable is the same data type as the source variable and if the target variable has either an identical structure to the source variable or has no defined structure.

Important! Once you drop a variable from the pipeline, it is no longer available to subsequent services in the flow. Do not use the Drop modifier unless you are sure the variable is not used by services invoked after the point where you drop it.

Basic Mapping Tasks


1 In the editor, select the INVOKE or MAP step whose pipeline variables you want to drop.


3 Select the variable that you want to drop.

4 Click on the toolbar.

Adding Variables with the Pipel ine Tab You can use the Pipeline tab to add variables that were not declared as input or output parameters for the flow service itself or any of its constituent services. You can use it to add variables that were omitted from a service’s input or output parameters or create temporary variables for use within the flow. (For example, you might attach a variable to each of the children in a BRANCH step to mark the path taken by the service at run time.)

Variables that you create using the Pipeline tab can be used just like any declared variable in the flow.

To drop a variable from the pipeline

Note: You can only drop variables from Pipeline In and Pipeline Out. In a MAP step, you can only drop variables from Pipeline In.

Important! If you create a new variable in a flow, you must immediately do one of the following:

– Link a variable to it– Assign a value to it– Drop it

If you do not take one of these steps, Developer automatically clears it from the Pipeline tab.

Note: You might want to drop a variable immediately after adding it if a service produces a variable that is not declared in the service input or output parameters. The variable will not appear on the Pipeline tab if it is not an input or output parameter. By adding and then immediately dropping the variable, you can delete the variable if it does exist in the pipeline.



1 In the editor, select the INVOKE or MAP step that represents the stage of the pipeline at which you want to add a new variable.


3 Select the point where you want to add the new variable.

4 Click and select the type of variable that you want to create.

5 Type the name of the variable and press ENTER.

6 If the variable is a document or a document list, repeat steps 4 and 5 to define its

member variables. Then use to indent each member variable beneath the document or document list variable.

7 Assign one of the pipeline modifiers to the new variable (Link, Drop, or Set Value). (If you do not assign a modifier to the variable, Developer considers it extraneous to the flow and automatically clears the variable when it refreshes the Pipeline tab.)

Working with TransformersBy linking variables to each other on the Pipeline tab, you can accomplish name transformations and structural transformations. However, to perform value transformations you must execute some code or logic (that is, you must invoke a service). Developer provides two ways for you to invoke services: You can insert INVOKE steps or you can insert transformers onto the Pipeline tab.

What Are Transformers?Transformers are the services you use to accomplish value transformations on the Pipeline tab. You can only insert a transformer into a MAP step. You can use any service as a transformer. This includes any Java, C or flow service that you create and any built-in services in WmPublic, such as the pub.date.getCurrentDateString and the pub.string.concat services. By using transformers, you can invoke multiple services (and perform multiple value transformations) in a single flow step.

To add a variable to the pipeline

Note: In an INVOKE step, you can add a new variable to Pipeline In, Service In, Service Out, or Pipeline Out. In a MAP step, you can only add new variables in Pipeline Out.

Note: Services that you insert using the INVOKE step might also perform value transformations. However, only transformers can accomplish multiple value transformations in a single flow step.

Working with Transformers


You can think of transformers as a series of INVOKE steps embedded in a MAP step. And like INVOKE steps, when you insert a transformer, you need to create links between pipeline variables and the transformer. You can also set properties for the transformer and validate the input and/or output of the transformer. Because transformers are contained within a MAP step, they do not appear as a separate flow step in the editor.

Transformers are well suited for use when mapping data from one document format to another. When you map data between formats, you usually need to perform several name, structure, and value transformations. By using transformers, the flow service in which you map data between formats could potentially consist of a single MAP step in where transformers and links between variables handle all of the data transformations. In this way, you could see your entire document-to-document mapping in a single view.

MAP step with transformers

Using Built-in Services as TransformersAny service in the Navigation panel can be used as a transformer. webMethods provides several built-in services specifically designed to translate values between formats. These services can be found in the following folders in the WmPublic package:

Tip! You can create a flow service that uses transformers to convert data between document formats (such as an IDOC to an XML document or RosettaNet PIP to a proprietary format). You could then invoke this service in other flow services each time you need to convert between the specific document formats before you begin processing data.

Note: In a MAP step, Developer only displays the links between pipeline variables and transformers. Developer does not display any implicit linking for a MAP step.



For more information about built-in services, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Insert ing a Transformer into a MAP StepWhen you insert a transformer, you are essentially inserting an INVOKE step into a MAP step. When inserting transformers, keep the following points in mind:

Transformers can only be inserted in a MAP step.

Any service can be used as a transformer, including flow services, C services, and Java services.

The transformers you insert into a MAP step operate on the same set of pipeline data.

The output of one transformer cannot be used as the input of another transformer in the same MAP step.

Transformers in a MAP step are independent of each other and do not execute in a specific order. When inserting transformers, assume that webMethods Integration Server concurrently executes the transformers at run time.

1 In the editor, select the MAP step in which you want to insert a transformer.

2 Click the Transformers area on the Pipeline tab.

3 Click on the Pipeline tab toolbar and then select the service you want to invoke. If the service you want to insert does not appear in the list, select Browse to select the service from the Navigation panel. The transformer appears under Transformers on the Pipeline tab.

This folder… Contains services to…

pub.date Transform time and date information from one format to another.

pub.document Transform documents to and from document lists and XML values.

pub.list Transform a String list to a document list (IData[ ] object) and append items to a document list (IData[ ] object) or a String list.

pub.math Perform simple arithmetic calculations (add, subtract, multiply, and divide) on integers and decimals contained in string variables.

pub.string Transform string values in various ways (for example, pad, substring, concat, replace through a lookup table).

To insert a transformer



4 Select the transformer and, in the Properties panel, set its properties:

5 Click OK.

For information about debugging transformers, see “Debugging Transformers” on page 231.

Linking Variables to a TransformerWhen you map data to and from a transformer, you create links between the pipeline variables and the transformer. Keep the following points in mind when you create links between pipeline and transformer variables:

Developer does not implicitly link pipeline variables to the input or output variables of a transformer. Even if the pipeline variables have the same name and data type as


Service The fully qualified name of the service that will be invoked at run time as a transformer. When you insert a transformer, Developer automatically assigns the name of that service to the service property. If you want to change the service that is invoked by a transformer, specify the service’s fully qualified name in the folderName:serviceName format or click to select a service from a list.

Validate input Whether or not you want to validate the input to the transformer against the signature of the service. Select True to validate the input of the transformer. Select False if you do not want to validate the input of the transformer.

For information about validating transformers, see “Validating Input and Output for Transformers” on page 227.

Validate output Whether or not you want to validate the output of the transformer against the signature of the service. Select True to validate the output of the transformer. Select False if you do not want to validate the output of the transformer.

For information about validating transformers, see “Validating Input and Output for Transformers” on page 227.

Tip! When you expand a transformer in the Transformers area of the Pipeline tab, you can see the Service In variables and the Service Out variables and all of the explicit links between the transformer and the pipeline. You might find it easier to link transformer variables when you are zoomed in on the transformer.



the transformer variables, no implicit linking occurs. You need to explicitly link pipeline variables to the input and output variables of a transformer.

Output for a transformer is not automatically added to the pipeline. If you want the output of a transformer to appear in the pipeline, you need to explicitly link the output variable to a Pipeline Out variable. If you do not link the output variable to a Pipeline Out variable, the output variable does not appear in the pipeline.

If you do not link any output variables or the transformer does not have any declared output variables, the transformer service will not run.

The transformers you insert into a single MAP step act on the same set of pipeline data.

To provide the cleanest and simplest view when working with transformers, the Pipeline tab only displays one link between the transformer and a Pipeline In variable and one link between the transformer and a Pipeline Out variable. (The Pipeline tab displays the links between the transformer and the highest positioned Pipeline In variable and Pipeline Out variable to which the transformer is linked.)

1 To create a link between a Pipeline In variable and a transformer variable, do the following:

a In Pipeline In, select the variable you want to use as input to the transformer and drag your mouse to the transformer.

b In the Link To list, select the transformer variable to which you want to link the Pipeline In variable.

Once you link a transformer input variable to a Pipeline In variable, Developer displays the phrase “has already been chosen” next to the transformer variable in the Link To list.

c Repeat steps a and b for each transformer input variable you want to link to a pipeline variable.

To create a link between a pipeline variable and a transformer

Note: You can assign a value to a transformer input variable using the Set Value

modifier . To assign an input value to a transformer, first expand the transformer by double-clicking the transformer name, by clicking Compose Expand, or by clicking

next to the transformer.



2 To create a link between a transformer output variable and a Pipeline Out variable, do the following:

a Select the transformer and drag your mouse to the variable in Pipeline Out to which you want to link the transformer variable.

b In the Link From list, select the transformer variable that you want to link to the selected Pipeline Out variable.

c Repeat steps a and b for each output variable produced by the transformer.

You can link a transformer output variable to more than one Pipeline Out variable.

Transformer Movement When you link to and from a selected transformer, it moves up and down in the Transformers column. This movement or “jumping” is by design to help minimize the distance between the transformer and the variable you are linking it to.

Transformers exhibit the following behavior or movement:

When a transformer is selected and you select a variable in Pipeline In or Pipeline Out, the transformer “jumps” or moves up or down in the Transformers column so that it is directly across from the selected pipeline variable.

When you finish linking a transformer and it is no longer selected, Developer “anchors” or aligns the transformer next to the highest Pipeline Out variable it is linked to.

To stop the transformer from jumping, click the transformer again or click in the empty areas of the Pipeline tab.

Important! Developer does not automatically add the output of a transformer to the pipeline. If you want the output of a transformer to appear in the pipeline after the transformer executes, you need to explicitly link the output variable to a variable in Pipeline Out.

Important! If you do not link any output variables or the transformer does not have any output variables, the transformer will not execute.

Note: To expand your view of the Pipeline tab, drag the movable border above the tab. The Pipeline tab expands to fit in the Developer window.



Transformers and Array VariablesWhen creating links between pipeline variables and transformers, differences in dimensionality for the source and target variables may cause an exception. If the dimensionality of the target variable is greater than the dimensionality of the source variable, an exception will not be thrown. However, if the dimension of the source variable is greater than the dimension of the target variable, an exception will occur.

What Is Dimensionality?

Dimensionality refers to the number of arrays to which a variable belongs. For example, the dimensionality of a single String is 0, that of a single String list or document list is 1, and that of a single String table is 2. A String that is a child of a document list has a dimensionality of 1. A String list that is a child of a document list has a dimensionality of 2.

Example

In the following example, the unitPrice variable cannot be linked to num1 because the unitPrice variable has a dimensionality of 1 ( string (0) + document list (1) = 1) and num1 has a dimension of 0.

unitPrice cannot be linked to num1 because of dimensionality differences

Solution

To solve this, you can either:

Change the service invoked by the transformer to accept arrays as data, or

Create a flow service in which a LOOP step loops over the array variable. Then, (in the same flow service) invoke the service you originally wanted to use as a transformer, and make that INVOKE step a child of the LOOP. Finally, insert the resulting flow service as a transformer in the MAP.



Of the two options, changing the service to accept arrays as data results in faster execution of flow services.

Validating Input and Output for TransformersAs with any service you insert using an INVOKE, you can validate the inputs and outputs of the transformer service before and/or after it executes. To indicate that you want to validate a transformer’s inputs and outputs, you change the properties of the transformer. You do not have to use validation for all of the transformers you insert into a MAP step.

When the server validates a transformer’s inputs and outputs at run time, it validates the transformer against the input and output parameters of the invoked service. To view the input and output parameters of the invoked service, open the service and then click the service’s Input/Output tab. The variables on the input and output sides of the tab represent the declared parameters for the service. To view the constraints placed on a variable, click the variable and view its Constraints properties in the Properties panel.

1 In the editor, select the MAP step containing the transformer you want to validate.


3 Under Transformers, select the transformer for which you want to validate input or output.

4 On the Properties panel, for the Validate input property, select True if you want to validate the input to the transformer against the input parameters of the invoked service.

5 For the Validate output property, select True if you want to validate the output of the transformer against the output parameters of the invoked service.

6 Click OK.

Note: If the Validate input and/or Validate output properties of the invoked service are set to True, the input and/or output for the service will automatically be validated every time the service is executed. If you set up validation via the properties for a transformer when it is already set up for validation via the service’s Properties panel, then you are performing validation twice. This can slow down the execution of a transformer and, ultimately, the flow service.

To validate the input and output of a transformer



Copying TransformersYou may want to use the same transformer more than once in a MAP step. For example, you might want to convert all the dates in a purchase order to the same format. Instead of

using the button to locate and select the service, you can copy and paste the transformer service.

You can also copy transformers between MAP steps in the same flow or MAP steps in different flow services.

1 In the editor, select the MAP step containing the transformer service you want to copy.


3 Under Transformers, select the transformer service you want to copy. Right-click the transformer and then select Copy.

4 To paste the transformer, click anywhere under Transformers. Right-click and select Paste.

5 Link the input and output variables of the transformer using the procedures described in “Linking Variables to a Transformer” on page 223.

Important! Copying a transformer does not copy the links between transformer variables and pipeline variables or any values you might have assigned to transformer variables using the Set Value modifier.

To copy a transformer



Expanding TransformersYou might find it easier to create links to transformers when you expand the transformer. When you expand a transformer, you can see the Service In and the Service Out variables for the transformer and all of the links between the pipeline and the transformer variables.

Pipeline tab with an expanded transformer

When you expand a transformer, you can only perform actions for that transformer, for example, you can only link variables or set properties for the expanded transformer. Other transformers and links to other transformers remain hidden until you collapse the transformer.

Note: If you expand a transformer, you can use the Set Value modifier to assign a value to a variable in Service In.



To expand the contents of a transformer, click Compose Expand.

To collapse the contents of a transformer, click Compose Collapse.

Renaming TransformersIf webMethods Integration Server displays the message “Transformer not found” when you try to expand a transformer or when you point the mouse to the transformer, then the service referenced by the transformer has been renamed, moved, or deleted. You need to change the Service property of the transformer so that the transformer points to the moved, or renamed service.

If the service referenced by the transformer has been deleted, you may want to delete the transformer.

1 Use the Navigation panel to determine the new name or location of the service called by the transformer.

2 Open the flow service containing the transformer you want to rename.

3 In the editor, select the MAP step containing the transformer. Then, on the Pipeline tab, select the transformer you want to rename.

To expand and collapse the contents of a transformer

Tip! You can also expand a transformer by double-clicking it or by clicking next to it.

Tip! You can also collapse a transformer by double-clicking it or by clicking next to it.

Note: If webMethods Integration Server displays a message stating that the transformer cannot be found, then the service invoked by the transformer has been renamed, moved, or deleted. You must use the transformer properties to rename the transformer. See the following section for more information.

Tip! You can enable safeguards so that you do not inadvertently affect or break other services when you move, rename, or delete a service. For more information, see “Specifying Dependency Checking Safeguards” on page 47.

To rename a transformer



4 In the Service property on the Properties panel, delete the old name and type in the service’s new fully qualified name in the folderName:serviceName format, or click to select a service from a list.

Debugging TransformersWhen you test and debug a flow service, you can use the following testing and debugging techniques with transformers:

Step into a MAP step and step through the execution of each transformer. For more information about stepping into and out of a MAP step, see “Using the Step Tools with a MAP Step” on page 294.

Set a breakpoint on a transformer so that service execution stops when the transformer is encountered. For more information about setting breakpoints, see “Setting Breakpoints” on page 295.

Disable a transformer so that it does not execute at run time. For more information about disabling transformers, see “Disabling Transformers” on page 299.


C H A P T E R 9Creat ing IS Schemas, IS Document Types, and Specif icat ions

Creating an IS Schema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Creating an IS Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Creating a Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

C H A P T E R 9 C r e a t i n g I S S c h e m a s , I S D o c u m e n t Ty p e s , a n d S p e c i f i c a t i o n s


Creat ing an IS Schema

An IS schema is a “free-standing” element in the Navigation panel that acts as the blueprint or model against which you validate an XML document. The IS schema provides a formal description of the structure and content for a valid instance document (the XML document). The formal description is created through the specification of constraints. An IS schema can contain the following types of constraints:

Structural constraints in an IS schema describe the elements, attributes, and types that appear in a valid instance document. For example, an IS schema for a purchase order might specify that a valid <lineItem> element must consist of the <itemNumber>, <size>, <color>, <quantity>, and <unitPrice> elements in that order.

Content constraints in an IS schema describe the type of information that elements and attributes can contain in a valid instance document. For example, the <quantity> element might be required to contain a value that is a positive integer.

During data validation, the validation engine in webMethods Integration Server compares the elements and attributes in the instance document with the structural and content constraints described for those elements and attributes in the IS schema.The validation engine considers the instance document to be valid when it complies with the structural and content constraints described in the IS schema. For more information about data validation, see Chapter 10, “Performing Data Validation”.

You can create IS schemas from an XML Schema, a DTD (Document Type Definition), or an XML document that references an existing DTD. For information about creating IS schemas, see “Creating an IS Schema” on page 239.

What Does an IS Schema Look Like?The appearance and content of an IS schema depends on whether you generate an IS schema from an XML Schema or a DTD. For example, if you create an IS schema from an XML Schema, the resulting IS schema displays type definitions, element declarations, and attribute declarations. If you create an IS schema from a DTD, the resulting IS schema displays element type declarations.

When you select an IS schema in the Navigation panel, Developer displays the contents of the IS schema in the editor. The schema editor is divided into two areas: the schema browser on the left and the schema details area on the right. Above these areas, the editor identifies the target namespace for the IS schema.

Creating an IS Schema


Schema editor

Schema BrowserThe schema browser displays the components of an IS schema in a format that mirrors the structure and content of the source file. The schema browser groups the global element declarations, attribute declarations, simple type definitions, and complex type definitions from the source file under the top-level headings ELEMENTS, ATTRIBUTES, SIMPLE TYPES, and COMPLEX TYPES. For example, the ELEMENTS heading contains all of the global element declarations from the XML Schema or the DTD.

If the source file does not contain one of these global components, the corresponding heading is absent. For example, if you create an IS schema from an XML Schema that does not contain any global attribute declarations, the schema browser does not display the ATTRIBUTES heading. An IS schema created from a DTD never displays the SIMPLE TYPES or COMPLEX TYPES headings because DTDs do not contain type definitions.

The schema browser uses unique symbols to represent the components of the IS schema. Each of these symbols relates to a component of an XML Schema or a DTD. The following table identifies the symbol for each component that can appear in an IS schema.

Specifies the targetnamespace to whichthe schema belongs.

Select a component inthe schema browser...

...to view and/or edit thecomponent in the

schema details area.

Note: A DTD does contain attribute declarations. However, the schema browser does not display the ATTRIBUTES heading for IS schemas generated from DTDs. This is because an attribute declaration in a DTD associates the attribute with an element type. Accordingly, the schema browser displays attributes as children of the element type declaration to which they are assigned. For more information, see the webMethods Integration Server Schema Reference.



Note: In the following table, global refers to elements, attributes, and types declared or defined as immediate children of the <schema> element in an XML Schema. All element type declarations in a DTD are considered global declarations.

Symbol Description

Element declaration. An element declaration associates an element name with a type definition. This symbol corresponds to the <element> declaration in an XML Schema and the ELEMENT declaration in a DTD.

Element reference. An element reference is a reference from an element declaration in a content specification to a globally declared element.

In an IS schema generated from an XML Schema, this symbol corresponds to the ref="globalElementName" attribute in an <element> declaration.

In an IS schema generated from DTD, this symbol appears next to an element that is a child of another element. The parent element has only element content.

Any element declaration. In XML Schema, an <any> element declaration is a wildcard declaration used as a placeholder for one or more undeclared elements in an instance document.

In a DTD, an element declared to be of type ANY can contain any well-formed XML. This symbol corresponds to an element declared to be of type ANY.

Because an <any> element declaration does not have a name, the schema browser uses 'Any' as the name of the element.

Attribute declaration. An attribute declaration associates an attribute name with a simple type definition. This symbol corresponds to the XML Schema <attribute> declaration or the attribute in a DTD ATTLIST declaration.

Attribute reference. An attribute reference is a reference from a complex type definition to a globally declared attribute. This symbol corresponds to the ref="globalAttributeName" attribute in an attribute declaration.

DTDs do not have attribute references. Consequently, attribute references do not appear in IS schemas generated from DTDs.

Any attribute declaration. An any attribute declaration is a wildcard declaration used as a placeholder for undeclared attributes in an instance document. This symbol corresponds to the <anyAttribute> declaration in an XML Schema.

Because an <anyAttribute> declaration does not specify an attribute name, the schema browser uses 'Any' as the name of the attribute.



Simple type definition. A simple type definition specifies the data type for a text-only element or an attribute. Unlike complex type definitions, simple type definitions cannot carry attributes. This symbol corresponds to the <simpleType> element in an XML Schema.

If the simple type definition is unnamed (an anonymous type), the schema browser displays 'Anonymous' as the name of the complex type definition.

Complex type definition. A complex type definition defines the structure and content for elements of complex type. (Elements of complex type can contain child elements and carry attributes.) This symbol corresponds to the <complexType> element in an XML Schema.

If the complex type definition is unnamed (an anonymous type), the schema browser displays 'Anonymous' as the name of the complex type definition.

Sequence content model. A sequence content model specifies that the child elements in the instance document must appear in the same order in which they are declared in the content model. This symbol corresponds to the <sequence> compositor in an XML Schema or a sequence list in an element type declaration in a DTD.

Choice content model. A choice content model specifies that only one of the child elements in the content model can appear in the instance document. This symbol corresponds to the <choice> compositor in an XML Schema or a choice list in a DTD element type declaration.

All content model. An all content model specifies that child elements can appear once, or not at all, and in any order in the instance document. This symbol corresponds to the <all> compositor in an XML Schema.

Mixed content. Elements that contain mixed content allow character data to be interspersed with child elements. This symbol corresponds to the mixed="true" attribute in an XML Schema complex type definition or a DTD element list in which the first item is #PCDATA.

Empty content. In an XML Schema, an element has empty content when its associated complex type definition does not contain any element declarations. An element with empty content may still carry attributes.

In a DTD, an element has empty content when it is declared to be of type EMPTY.

Symbol Description



Schema Detai ls AreaThe schema details area displays information that you use to examine and edit the selected component in the schema browser. The contents of the schema details area vary depending on what component you select. For example, when you select a globally declared element of complex type, the schema details area looks like the following.

Schema details area for a global element declaration of complex type

... the schema detailsarea displays information

about that element.

If you select anelement declaration...



When you select a simple type definition, the schema details area looks like the following:

Schema details area for a simple type definition

Creating an IS SchemaIn Developer, you can create IS schemas from XML Schema definitions, DTDs, and XML documents that reference an existing DTD. The resulting IS schema contains all of the defined types, declared elements, and declared attributes from the source file.

If you select a simpletype definition...

... the schema detailsarea displays fields for

viewing/editing thesimple type.

Note: The actual work of creating an IS schema is performed by the schema processor. The schema processor is the subsystem of the webMethods Integration Server that compiles an IS schema from a source file.

Note: You can find sample XML Schema definitions in the following directory: webMethods6\Developer\samples\xml\xsd. You can also find XML Schema definitions and DTDs on the Web sites for these groups: (www.w3c.org and www.openapplications.org).

http://www.w3c.org

http://www.openapplications.org




2 In the New dialog box, select Schema, and then click Next.

3 In the New Schema dialog box, next to Folder, select the folder where you want to save the IS schema.

4 In the Name field, type a name for the IS schema using any combination of letters, numbers, and the underscore character. Click Next.

5 In the New Schema dialog box, select one of the following to specify the source for the IS schema.

6 Click Next.

7 In the Enter the URL or select a local file box, do one of the following:

If you want to base the IS schema on an XML document, DTD, or XML Schema definition that resides on the Internet, type the URL of the resource. (The URL you specify must begin with http: or https:.)

If you want to base the IS schema on an XML document, DTD, or XML Schema definition that resides on your local file system, type the path and file name, or

click to navigate to and select the file.

8 Click Finish. Developer generates the IS schema using the document you specified and displays it in the editor.

To create an IS schema

Important! If you specify a name that uses a reserved word or character, webMethods Integration Server displays an error message. When this happens, use a different name or try adding a letter or number to the name to make it valid. For more information about restricted characters for packages, folders, and elements, see “About Element Names” on page 45.

Specify... To...

XML Create an IS schema based on an existing DTD referenced by an XML document.

DTD Create an IS schema based on a DTD.

XML Schema Create an IS schema based on an XML Schema definition.

Important! You can create an IS schema from an XML document only if the XML document references an existing DTD.



Creating IS Schemas from XML Schemas that Reference Other SchemasA schema author can insert the elements, attributes, and type definitions from another schema into the schema they are creating. A schema author might do this to break up a large XML Schema into several small, more reusable XML Schemas. When you generate an IS schema from an XML Schema that references another schema, the schema processor either includes all of the schema components in a single IS schema, creates multiple IS schemas, or creates no IS schema at all. The behavior of the schema processor depends on the mechanism the source XML Schema uses to reference the other schema. The following mechanisms can be used to reference an external schema:

Include. When you generate an IS schema from an XML Schema that uses <include> to include the contents of an external schema in the same namespace, the resulting IS schema contains all of the defined types, declared elements, and declared attributes from the source schema and the external schema.

Import. When you generate an IS schema from an XML Schema that contains an <import> element to import the contents of an external schema in a different namespace, the schema processor creates one IS schema per namespace. For example, if the source XML Schema imports two XML Schemas from the same namespace, the schema processor creates an IS schema for the source XML Schema and then a second IS schema that includes the components from the two imported XML schemas. The schema processor assigns each imported schema the name that you specify and appends an underscore and a number to each name. For example, if you create an IS schema named “mySchema” from mySchema.xsd, the schema processor generates an IS schema named “mySchema_2” for the imported XML Schema.

Redefine. Schema authors can also use <redefine> to include and then redefine type definitions, model groups, and attribute groups from an external XML Schema in the same namespace. The schema processor in Integration Server does not support <redefine> at this time. The schema processor will not generate an IS schema for an XML Schema that contains a <redefine> mechanism. When the schema processor encounters a <redefine> mechanism in an XML Schema, Developer displays the following message:

Detected use of "redefine" in {XML Schema Name}. webMethods Integration Server does not support "redefine".

Note: You might receive errors or warnings when creating an IS schema from an XML Schema definition or DTD. For more information about these errors and warnings, see Appendix G, “Validation Errors and Exceptions”.

Note: When creating an IS schema from an XML Schema definition, Developer validates the schema and does not create the IS schema if the XML Schema definition is not valid. For more information, see “IS Schema Generation Errors and Warnings” on page 484.



Editing a Simple Type in an IS SchemaYou can modify a simple type definition in an IS schema without editing the source XML Schema definition. You edit a simple type by adding or changing the value of one or more constraining facets applied to the simple type. For example, you can modify a simple type by adding an enumerated value, a pattern constraint, or changing the length constraint. Editing the simple type through Developer is an alternative to editing the source XML Schema definition and regenerating the IS schema.

You can edit any of the globally defined simple types (those that appear under the SIMPLE TYPES heading) or anonymous simple types (those defined as part of an element or attribute declaration.) A named simple type that appears as a child of an element or attribute in the schema browser cannot be edited. (These simple types are global simple types used to define the element or attribute they appear under.) The following illustration identifies the simple type definitions that you can and cannot edit.

Editable simple type definitions in an IS schema

When modifying a simple type definition, keep the following points in mind:

Changes to a simple type definition affect the elements and attributes for which the simple type is the defined type. For example, if the attribute partNum is defined to be of type SKU, changes to the SKU simple type definition affect the partNum attribute.

The string simple typecannot be edited.

This globally definedsimple type can be

edited.

This simple type cannotbe edited because it

refers to a globallydefined simple type.

This anonymous simpletype can be edited.



Changes to a global simple type definition in an IS schema do not affect simple types derived from the global simple type; that is, the changes are not propagated to the derived types in the IS schema.

Simple types in an IS schema can be used as content constraints for fields in pipeline validation. Consequently, changes to a simple type also affect every field to which the simple type is applied as a content constraint.

Changes to a simple type definition are saved in the IS schema. If you regenerate the IS schema from the XML Schema definition, your changes will be overwritten.

When you edit the constraining facets applied to a simple type definition, you can only make the constraining facet values more restrictive. The constraining facets cannot become less restrictive. For more information about setting values for constraining facets, see “Setting Constraining Facet Values” on page 243.

1 Open the IS schema that contains the simple type you want to edit.

2 In the schema browser area of the editor, select the simple type that you want to edit. The symbol appears next to simple types.

3 In the schema details area, specify the constraining facets that you want to apply to the simple type. For more information about constraining facets, see “Constraining Facets” on page 462.


Setting Constraining Facet ValuesYou can edit any of the constraining facet values that appear in the schema details area when you select an editable simple type definition in the schema browser. The constraining facets displayed in the schema details area depend on the primitive type from which the simple type was derived. For example, if the simple type definition is derived from string, the schema details area displays the enumeration, length, minLength, maxLength, pattern, and whiteSpace facets. The schema details area only displays constraining facet values set in the simple type definition. It does not display constraining

Tip! You can create a custom simple type to apply to a field as a content type constraint. For more information about creating a custom simple type and applying constraints to fields, see “Setting Constraining Facet Values” on page 243.

Tip! If you want to edit complex type definitions, attribute declarations, element declarations, or the structure of the schema, you need to edit the XML Schema and then regenerate the IS schema.

To edit a simple type definition



facet values the simple type definition inherited from the simple types from which it was derived.

You can view the constraining facet values set in the type definitions from which a simple type was derived by clicking the Base Constraints button. Base constraints are the constraining facet values set in all the type definitions from which a simple type is derived—from the primitive type to the immediate parent type. These constraint values represent the cumulative facet values for the simple type.

When you edit the constraining facets for a simple type definition, you can only make the constraining facets more restrictive—the applied constraining facets cannot become less restrictive. For example, if the length value is applied to the simple type, the maxLength or minLength values cannot be set because the maxLength and minLength facets are less restrictive than length.

Creat ing an IS Document Type An IS document type contains a set of fields used to define the structure and type of data in a document (IData object). You can use an IS document type to specify input or output parameters for a service or specification. You can also use an IS document type to build a document or document list field and as the blueprint for pipeline validation and document (IData object) validation.

IS document types can provide the following benefits:

Using an IS document type as the input or output signature for a service can reduce the effort required to build a flow.

Using an IS document type to build document or document list fields can reduce the effort needed to declare input or output parameters or the effort/time needed to build other document fields.

IS document types improve accuracy, because there is less opportunity to introduce a typing error typing field names.

IS document types make future changes easier to implement, because you can make a change in one place (the IS document type) rather than everywhere the IS document type is used.

You can create an IS document type in the following ways:

Create an empty IS document type and define the structure of the document type yourself by inserting fields.

Create an IS document type from a source file, such as an XML Schema, DTD, or XML document. The structure and content of the IS document type will match that of the source file.

Create an IS document type from a Broker document type.

Creating an IS Document Type


Creating an Empty IS Document TypeWhen you create an empty IS document type, you insert fields to define the contents and structure of the IS document type.


2 In the New dialog box, select Document Type and click Next.

3 In the New Document Type dialog box, do the following:

a In the list next to Folder, select the folder in which you want to save the IS document type.

b In the Name field, type a name for the IS document type using any combination of letters, numbers, and/or the underscore character. For information about restricted characters, see “About Element Names” on page 45.

c Click Next.

4 Under Select a source, select None to indicate that you want to create an empty IS document type in which you define the structure and fields.

5 Click Finish.

6 To add fields in the IS document type, do the following:

a Click on the toolbar and select the type of field that you want to define.

b Type the name of the field and then press ENTER.

Note: If you intend to make the IS document type publishable, keep in mind that the Broker has restrictions for field names. If you create a trigger that subscribes to the publishable document type, any filters that include field names containing restricted characters will be saved on the Integration Server only. The filters will not be saved on the Broker, possibly affecting Integration Server performance. For more information, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

To create an empty IS document type

Note: Developer prevents the insertion of fields named _env in an IS document type. For more information about the _env field, see “The Envelope Field” on page 251.



c With the field selected, set field properties and apply constraints in the Properties panel (optional).

For more information about setting field properties, see “Specifying Field Properties” on page 255. For information about applying constraints, see “Applying Constraints to Variables” on page 261.

d If the field is a document or a document list, repeat steps a–c to define and set the

properties and constraints for each of its members. Use to indent each member field beneath the document or document list field.


Creating an IS Document Type from an XML Document, DTD, or XML SchemaYou can create an IS document type based on the structure and content of a source file, such as an XML Schema, DTD, or XML document. When you base the IS document type on a source file, Developer creates an IS document type and an IS schema. The IS document type has the same structure and field constraints as the source document. The IS schema contains the elements, attributes, and data types defined in the XML Schema or DTD. The IS document type, which displays the fields and structure of the source document, uses links to the IS schema to obtain content type information about named simple types.

Keep the following points in mind when creating an IS document type from an XML Schema, DTD, or XML document:

When creating a field from an attribute declaration, the Integration Server inserts the @ symbol at the beginning of the field name. For example, an attribute named myAttribute in the source file corresponds to a field named @myAttribute in the IS document type.

Before creating the IS document type and the IS schema, Integration Server validates the XML Schema. If the XML Schema does not conform syntactically to the schema for XML Schemas defined in XML Schema Part 1: Structures, Integration Server does not create an IS schema or an IS document type. Instead, Developer displays an error message that lists the number, title, location, and description of the validation errors within the XML Schema.

Note: Developer displays small symbols next to a field icon to indicate validation constraints. Developer uses to indicate an optional field. Developer uses the ‡ symbol to denote a field with a content constraint. For information about applying constraints to fields, see “Applying Constraints to Variables” on page 261.



When you use an XML Schema to create the IS document type, the Integration Server uses the prefixes declared in the XML Schema as part of the field names. Field names have the format prefix:elementName or prefix:@attributeName.

If the XML Schema does not use prefixes, the Integration Server creates prefixes for each unique namespace and uses those prefixes in the field names. Integration Server uses “ns” as the prefix for the first namespace, “ns1” for the second namespace, “ns2” for the third namespace, and so on.

If you generate an IS document type from an XML Schema for which you already generated an IS schema, the Integration Server does not include prefixes in the field names. To ensure that the Integration Server uses prefixes in field names, use Developer to generate an IS document type from the XML Schema and allow the Integration Server to generate the IS schema automatically.

If you generate an IS document type from a DTD, the Integration Server assumes that the DTD is UTF8-encoded. If the DTD is not UTF8-encoded, add the XML prolog to the top of the DTD and explicitly state the encoding. For example, for a DTD encoded in 8859-1, you would insert the following at the top of the document:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="8859-1" ?>





b In the Name field, type a name for the IS document type using any combination of letters, numbers, and/or the underscore character. For information about reserved words or characters, see “About Element Names” on page 45.

c Click Next.

4 Under Select a source, select one of the following:

To create an IS document type from an XML document, DTD, or XML Schema

Select... To...

XML Create an IS document type that matches the structure and fields in an XML document.

DTD Create an IS document type that matches the structure and fields in a DTD.



5 Click Next.

6 In the Enter the URL or select a local file box, do one of the following:

If you want to base the IS document type on a file that resides on the Internet, type the URL of the resource. (The URL you specify must begin with http: or https:.)

If you want to base the IS document type on a file that resides on your local file

system, type in the path and file name, or click to navigate to and select the file.


If you selected XML in step 4, click Finish. Developer generates the IS document type using the XML document you specified and displays it in the editor.

If you selected DTD or XML Schema in step 4, click Next. Developer prompts you to select the root element of the document. Select the root element and click OK. Developer generates the IS document type and displays it in the editor. Developer also generates an IS schema and displays it in the Navigation panel.

Developer creates the IS document type and saves it on the Integration Server. If you want to add or edit fields in the IS document type, see “Creating an Empty IS Document Type” on page 245.

Creating an IS Document Type from a Broker Document TypeIf your Integration Server is connected to a Broker, you can create an IS document type from a Broker document type. The IS document type retains the structure, fields, data types, and publication properties defined in the Broker document type. For detailed information about how a Broker document type translates to an IS document type and vice versa, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

XML Schema Create an IS document type that matches the structure and fields in an XML Schema definition.

Select... To...

Note: You might receive errors or warnings when creating an IS document type from a DTD or XML Schema definition. For more information about these errors and warnings, see “Validation Errors” on page 466.

Tip! You can modify the generated IS document type by adding, moving, or deleting fields or by applying properties to the fields. For more information about applying properties to fields, see “Specifying Field Properties” on page 255



When you create an IS document type from a Broker document type, you essentially create a publishable document type. A publishable document type is an IS document type with specific publishing properties, such as storage type and time to live. Additionally, a publishable document type on an Integration Server is bound to a Broker document type. An instance of a publishable document type can be published to a Broker or locally within an Integration Server.

A publishable document type can be used anywhere an IS document type can be used. For example, you can use a publishable document type to define the input or output parameters of a service. A document reference field can reference an IS document type or a publishable document type. You can use a publishable document type as the blueprint for performing document or pipeline validation.

When you create an IS document type from a Broker document type that references other elements, Developer will also create an element for each referenced element. The Integration Server will contain a document type that corresponds to the Broker document type and one new element for each element the Broker document type references. Developer also creates the folder in which the referenced element was located. Developer saves the new elements in the package you selected for storing the new publishable document type.

For example, suppose that the Broker document type references a document type named address in the customerInfo folder. Developer would create an IS document type named address and save it in the customerInfo folder. If a field in the Broker document type was constrained by a simple type definition declared in the IS schema purchaseOrder, Developer would create the referenced IS schema purchaseOrder.

An element referenced by a Broker document type might have the same name as an existing element on your Integration Server. However, element names must be unique on the Integration Server. Developer gives you the option of overwriting the existing elements with the referenced elements.

Tip! Any IS document type can be made into a publishable document type. For information about making a document type publishable or setting publication properties, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

Important! If you do not select the Overwrite existing elements when importing referenced elements check box and the Broker document type references an element with the same name as an existing Integration Server element, Developer will not create the publishable document type.







b In the Name field, type a name for the IS document type using any combination of letters, numbers, and/or the underscore character.

c Click Next.

4 Under Select a source, select Broker Document Type, and click Next.


a In the Broker Namespace field, select the Broker document type from which you want to create an IS document type. The Broker Namespace field lists all of the Broker document types on the Broker territory to which the Integration Server is connected.

b If you want to replace existing elements in the Navigation panel with identically named elements referenced by the Broker document type, select the Overwrite existing elements when importing referenced elements check box.

6 Click Finish. Developer automatically refreshes the Navigation panel and displays beside the document type name to indicate it is a publishable document type.

Important! If you choose to overwrite existing elements with new elements, keep in mind that dependents of the overwritten elements will be affected. For example, suppose the address document type defined the input signature of a flow service deliverOrder. Overwriting the address document type might break the deliverOrder flow service and any other services that invoked deliverOrder.

To create an IS document type from a Broker document type

Important! Overwriting the existing elements completely replaces the existing element with the content of the referenced element. Any elements on the Integration Server that depend on the replaced element, such as flow services, IS document types, and specifications, might be affected.



Notes:

You can associate only one IS document type with a given Broker document type. If you try to create a publishable document type from a Broker document type that is already associated with a publishable document type on your Integration Server, Developer displays an error message.

In the Publication category of the Properties panel, the Broker doc type property displays the name of the Broker document type used to create the publishable document type. Or, if you are not connected to a Broker, this field displays Not Publishable. You cannot edit the contents of this field. For more information about the contents of this field, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

Once a publishable document type has an associated Broker document type, you need to make sure that the document types remain in sync. That is, changes in one document type must be made to the associated document type. You can update one document type with changes in the other by synchronizing them. For information about synchronizing document types, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

The Envelope FieldAll publishable document types contain an envelope (_env) field. This field is a document reference to the pub:publish:envelope document type. This document type defines the content and structure of the envelope that accompanies instances of the publishable document. The envelope records information such as the sender’s address, the time the document was sent, sequence numbers, and other useful information for routing and control. The envelope is much like a header in an e-mail message.

Because the _env field is needed for publication, Developer controls the usage of the _env field in the following ways:

You cannot insert an _env field in a document type. Developer automatically inserts the _env field at the end of the document type when you make the document type publishable.

You cannot copy and paste the _env field from one document type to another. You can copy this field to the Input/Output tab.

You cannot move, rename, or cut the _env field from a document type. Developer automatically removes the _env field when you make a document type unpublishable.

You can only delete an _env field from a document type that is not publishable.

The _env field is always the last field in a publishable document type.

For more information about the _env field and the contents of the pub:publish:envelope document type, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.



Adapter Notifications and Publishable Document TypesAdapter notifications notify webMethods components whenever a specific event occurs on an adapter's resource. The adapter notification publishes a document when the specified event occurs on the resource. For example, if you are using the JDBC Adapter and a change occurs in a database table that an adapter notification is monitoring, the adapter notification publishes a document containing data from the event and sends it to the Integration Server.

An adapter notification can have an associated publishable document type . When you create a polling or asynchronous listener adapter notification in Developer, the Integration Server automatically generates a corresponding publishable document type. Developer assigns the publishable document type the same name as the adapter notification, but appends PublishDocument to the name. That is, Developer assigns the publishable document type the name: NotificationNamePublishDocument. You can use this publishable document type with triggers and flow services just as you would any other publishable document type.

In a publishable document type associated with an adapter notification, you can edit only the Storage type and Time to live publication properties. To make any other modifications to the publishable document type, you must modify the adapter notification type. Integration Server automatically applies the changes to the publishable document type. For information about publication properties, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

For more information about creating and using adapter notifications, see the appropriate adapter user guide. For more information about performing actions on adapter notifications and their associated publishable document types, see Chapter 2, “Managing Elements in the Navigation Panel”.

Edit ing an IS Document TypeWhen you make a change to an IS document type, keep in mind that any change is automatically propagated to all services, specifications, document fields, and document list fields that use or reference the IS document type. (This happens when you save the updated IS document type to the server.) You can use the Tools Find Dependents command to view a list of elements that use the IS document type and will be affected by any changes.

Note: If an IS document type contains a field named _env, you need to delete that field before you can make the IS document type publishable.

Important! If you use an IS document type as the blueprint for pipeline or document validation, any changes you make to the IS document type can affect whether the object being validated (pipeline or document) is considered valid. For more information about validation, see Chapter 10, “Performing Data Validation”.



Modifying Publishable Document TypesWhen you modify a publishable document type, such as by deleting a field or changing a property, the publishable document type is no longer synchronized with the corresponding document type on the Broker. When you save your changes to the publishable document type, Developer displays a message stating:

This document type is now out of sync with the associated Broker document type. Use Sync Document Type to synchronize the document type with the Broker.

Developer displays this message only if a Broker is configured for the Integration Server. To update the associated Broker document type with the changes, synchronize the publishable document type with the Broker document type. For more information about synchronizing document types, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

Printing an IS Document TypeYou can use the View as HTML command to produce a printable version of an IS document type.

1 Open the IS document type you want to print and click its title bar in the editor to give it the focus.

2 From the File menu, select View as HTML.

Developer expands any document and document list fields in the IS document type, creates an HTML page containing the IS document type, and displays the HTML page in your default browser.

3 If you want to print the IS document type, select your browser’s print command.

Using an IS Document Type to Specify Service Input or Output ParametersYou can use an IS document type as the set of input or output parameters for a service or specification. If you have multiple services with identical input parameters but different output parameters, you can use an IS document type to define the input parameters rather than manually specifying individual input fields for each service.

1 Open the service to which you want to assign the IS document type.

2 Click the Input/Output tab.

To print an IS document type

To use an IS document type as service input or output parameters



3 In the Input or Output box (depending on which half of the Input/Output tab you want to apply the IS document type to), type the fully qualified name of the IS document type or click to select it from a list. You can also drag an IS document type from the Navigation panel to the box below the Validate input or Validate output check boxes on the Input/Output tab.


Using an IS Document Type to Build a Document Reference or Document Reference List FieldYou can use an IS document type to build a document reference or document reference list field. By referencing an IS document type instead of creating a new one, you can reduce the time required to create fields and maintain better consistency for field names. You might find referencing fields especially useful for information that is repeated over and over again, such as address information.

1 On the Input/Output tab, click on the toolbar and select one of the following:

2 In the Name field, type the fully qualified name of the IS document type or select it from the list next to Folder.

3 Click OK.

4 Type the name of the field.

5 Press ENTER.

Important! When an IS document type is assigned to the input or output of a service, you cannot add, delete, or modify the fields on that half of the Input/Output tab.

Tip! You can also use a publishable document type to build a document reference or document reference list field.

To use a document type to build a document reference or document reference list

Click... To...

Document Reference Create a document field based on an IS document type.

Document Reference List

Create a document list field based on an IS document type.



Specifying Field PropertiesYou can specify additional properties for the field. These properties are located in the Properties panel.

Field properties

On the Properties panel, the General category contains the properties of the field and the Constraints category contains validation constraints for the field. (For more information about specifying validation constraints, see “Applying Constraints to Variables” on page 261.)

The Text Field, Password, Large Editor, and Pick List options of the String display type property affect how you input data for the field as follows. These options are not available for Objects and Object lists.

Important! If you are creating a document reference or document reference list field based on an IS document type, you cannot directly add, delete, or modify its members on the Input/Output tab. To edit the referenced document or document list, select it in the Navigation panel, lock it, and then edit its fields in the editor.

Tip! You can also add a document reference by dragging an IS document type from the Navigation panel to the box below the Validate input or Validate output check boxes on the Input/Output tab.

Note: Use the XML Namespace property to assign a namespace name to a field. The namespace name indicates the namespace to which the field belongs. When generating XML Schema definitions and WSDL documents, the Integration Server uses the value of the XML Namespace field along with the field name (the local name) to create a qualified name (QName) for the field. For more information about setting the XML Namespace property, see the Web Services Developer’s Guide.



Creat ing a Specif icat ionA specification is a “free-standing” IS element that defines a set of service inputs and outputs. If you have multiple services with the same input and output requirements, you can point each service to a single specification rather than manually specify individual input and output fields in each service.

Using specifications provides the following benefits:

It reduces the effort required to build each flow.

It improves accuracy, because there is less opportunity to introduce a typing error when defining a field name.

It makes future specification changes easier to implement, because you can make the change in one place (the specification) rather than in each individual service.

If you use a specification, keep in mind that:

Any change that you make to the specification is automatically propagated to all services that reference that specification. (This happens the moment you save the updated specification to the server.)

A specification wholly defines the input and output parameters for a service that references it. This means that you cannot directly alter the service’s input and output parameters through its Input/Output tab. (Developer displays the parameters, but does not allow you to change them.) To make changes to the input and output parameters of the service, you must modify the specification (which affects all services that reference it) or detach the specification so you can manually define the parameters on the service’s Input/Output tab.

You create a specification with Developer. You assign a specification to a service using the Input/Output tab for the service.

If you want the input… Select...

Entered in a text field Text Field (default)

Entered as a password, with asterisks reflected instead of characters

Password

Entered in a large text area instead of a text field. This is useful if you expect a large amount of text as input for the field, or you need to have TAB or new line characters in the input

Large Editor

To be limited to a predefined list of values

Use the Pick list choices property’s Edit button to define the values that will appear as choices when Developer prompts for input at run time.

Pick List

Creating a Specification



2 In the New dialog box, select Specification, and click Next.

3 In the New Service Specification dialog box, do the following:

a In the list next to Folder, select the folder to which you want to save the specification.

b In the Name field, type a name for the specification using any combination of letters, numbers, and the underscore character.

c Click Finish.

4 If you want this specification to reference another specification, do the following in the editor:

a In Specification Reference field, type the specification’s name or click to select it from a list.

b Skip the rest of this procedure.

5 If you want to reference an IS document type for the Input or Output half of the specification, do the following:

a In the Input or Output field (depending on which half of the specification you want to assign the IS document type to), type the IS document type name or click to select it from a list. You can also drag an IS document type from the Navigation panel to the box below the Validate input or Validate output check boxes on the

To create a specification

Important! Developer does not allow the use of certain reserved words (such as for, while, and if ) as names. If you specify a name that is a reserved word, you will receive an error message. When this happens, use a different name or try adding a letter or number to the name you specified to make it valid.

Important! Typically, you do not build a specification by referencing another specification. However, it is useful to do this in the situation where you will use the specification with a group of services whose requirements are expected to change (that is, they match an existing specification now but are expected to change at some point in the future). Referencing a specification gives you the convenience of using an existing specification and the flexibility to change the specification for only that single group of services in the future.



Input/Output tab. For information about creating IS document types, see “Creating an IS Document Type” on page 244.

b Proceed to the next step to specify the fields for the other half of the specification. (If you assigned IS document types to both the Input and Output sides of this specification, skip the rest of this procedure.)

6 For each input or output field that you want to define, do the following:

a Select the half of the specification (Input or Output) where you want to define the field by clicking anywhere in that half’s large white text box.

b Click on the toolbar and select the type of field that you want to specify.

c Type the name of the field and then press ENTER.

d With the field selected, set its properties and apply constraints on the Properties panel (optional).

For details on setting field properties, see “Specifying Field Properties” on page 255. For details on applying constraints, see “Applying Constraints to Variables” on page 261.

e If the field is a document or a document list, repeat steps b–d to define each of its

members. Use to indent each member beneath the document or document list field.


1 Open the service to which you want to assign a specification.


3 In Specification Reference, type the fully qualified name of the specification, or click to select it from a list.

Tip! You can select a publishable document type or an IS document type to define the input or output half of the specification.

Important! Once you assign an IS document type to the Input or Output side of a specification, you cannot add, delete, or modify the fields on that half of the Input/Output tab.

To assign a specification to a service

Important! When a specification is assigned to a service, you cannot add, delete, or modify the declared fields using that service’s Input/Output tab.


C H A P T E R 10Performing Data Val idat ion

What Is Data Validation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

Applying Constraints to Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Performing Input/Output Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Performing Document Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

Performing Pipeline Validation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270

Performing XML Validation in webMethods Integration Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

Performing Validation from within a Java Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

Validation Errors and Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

C H A P T E R 1 0 P e r f o r m i n g D a t a Va l i d a t i o n


What Is Data Val idat ion?Data validation is the process of verifying that run-time data conforms to a predefined structure and format. Data validation also verifies that run-time data is a specific data type and falls within a defined range of values.

By performing data validation, you can make sure that:

The pipeline, a document (IData object), or an XML document contains the data needed to execute subsequent services. For example, if a service processes a purchase order, you might want to verify that the purchase order contains a customer name and address.

The data is in the structure expected by subsequent services. For example, a service that processes a purchase order might expect the customer address to be a document field with the following fields: name, address, city, state, and zip.

Data is of the type and within a value range expected by a service. For example, if a service processes a purchase order, you might want to make sure that the purchase order does not contain a negative quantity of an item (such as -5 shirts).

By using the data validation capabilities built into webMethods Integration Server, you can decide whether or not to execute a service based on the validity of data. The validation capabilities can also eliminate extra validation code from your services.

What Is Data Validated Against?During validation, run-time data is compared to a blueprint or model. The blueprint or model is a formal description of the structure and the allowable content for the data. The blueprint identifies structural and content constraints for the data being validated. The validation engine in webMethods Integration Server considers the data to be valid when it conforms to the constraints specified in the blueprint. A blueprint can be an IS schema, an IS document type, or a set of input and output parameters.

The blueprint used to validate data depends on the type of validation you are performing. In webMethods Integration Server, you can perform the following types of validation:

Input/Output validation. The validation engine in webMethods Integration Server validates the input and/or output of a service against the signature of the service.

Document validation. The validation engine in webMethods Integration Server validates the structure and content of a document (IData object) in the pipeline against an IS document type.

Pipeline validation. The validation engine in webMethods Integration Server validates the structure and content of the pipeline against an IS document type.

XML validation. The validation engine in webMethods Integration Server validates the structure and content of an XML document against an IS schema.

Applying Constraints to Variables


The following sections provide information about performing each type of validation and information about applying constraints to fields.

Applying Constraints to Var iablesIn pipeline, document, and input/output validation, the blueprint used for data validation requires constraints to be applied to its variables. Constraints are the restrictions on the structure or content of variables. You can apply the following types of constraints to variables:

Structural constraints specify the existence and structure of variables at run time. For example, if the flow service in which you are validating the pipeline processes a purchase order, you might want to check that values for the purchaseOrderNumber, accountNumber, and customerName variables exist at run time.

For document and document list variables, you can also specify the structure of the variable; that is, you can specify what variables can be contained in the document (IData object) or document list (IData[ ] object) at run time. For example, you could specify that the lineItem document variable must contain the child variables itemNumber, quantity, size, color, and unitPrice. You could also specify that the lineItem document can optionally contain the child variable specialInstructions.

Content constraints describe the data type for a variable and the possible values for the variable at run time. You can apply content constraints to String, String list, String table, Object, and Object list variables.

When you specify a content constraint for a String, String list or String table variable, you can also apply a constraining facet to the content. A constraining facet places limitations on the content (data type). For example, for a String variable named itemQuantity, you might apply a content constraint that requires the value to be an integer. You could then apply constraining facets that limit the content of itemQuantity to a value between 1 and 100.

You can use simple types from an IS schema as content constraints for String, String list, or String table variables.

For pipeline and document validation, the IS document type used as the blueprint needs to have constraints applied to its variables. For input/output validation, constraints need to be applied to the declared input and output parameters of the service being validated.

Note: When you create an IS document type from an XML Schema or a DTD, the constraints applied to the elements and attributes in the original document are preserved in the new IS document type. For more information about creating IS document types, see “Creating an IS Document Type” on page 244.



1 Select the variable to which you want to apply constraints.

You can apply constraints to variables in IS document types, variables in a specification, and variables declared on the Input/Output tab.

2 In the Constraints category on the Properties panel, do the following:

a If you want to require the selected variable to exist at run time, set the Required property to True. If the existence of the variable is optional, set this property to False.

b If you want to allow a variable to have a null value, set the Allow null property to True. If you want the validation engine to generate an error when the variable has a null value, set the Allow null property to False.

c If the selected variable is a document or document list and you want to allow it to contain undeclared child variables, set the Allow unspecified fields property to True.

If this property is set to False, any child variables that exist in the pipeline but do not appear in the declared document field will be treated as errors at run time.

d If the selected variable is a String, String list, or String table, and you want to specify content constraints for the variable, click and then do one of the following:

If you want to use a content type that corresponds to a built-in simple type in XML Schema, in the Content type list, select the type for the variable contents. (For a description of these content constraints, see Appendix F, “Validation Content Constraints”.) To apply the selected type to the variable, click OK.

If you want to customize the content type by changing the constraining facets applied to the type, see “Customizing a String Content Type” on page 264.

If you want to use a simple type from an IS schema as the content constraint, click the Browse button. In the Browse dialog box, select the IS schema containing the simple type you want to apply. Then, select the simple type you want to apply to the variable. To apply the selected type to the variable, click OK.

To apply constraints to a variable

Note: The state of the Allow unspecified fields property determines whether the document is open or closed. An open document permits undeclared fields (variables) to exist at run time. A closed document does not allow undeclared fields to exist at run time. The Integration Server considers a document to be open if the Allow unspecified fields property is set to True and considers a document to be closed if the Allow unspecified fields property is set to False.



If you want to customize the content type by changing the constraining facets applied to the type, see “Customizing a String Content Type” on page 264.

e If the selected variable is an Object or Object list, for the Java wrapper type property, select the Java class for the variable contents. If you do not want to apply a Java class or if the Java class is not listed, select UNKNOWN.

For more information about supported Java classes for Objects and Object lists, see “Java Classes for Objects” on page 421.

3 Repeat this procedure for each variable to which you want to apply constraints in the IS document type, specification, service input, or service output.


Considerat ions for Object ConstraintsConstraints for Object and Object list variables correspond to Java classes, whereas constraints for String variables correspond to simple types in XML schemas. When you apply constraints to Objects and perform validation, the data is validated as being of the specified Java class. For details on the Java classes you can apply to an Object or Object list, see “Java Classes for Objects” on page 421.

A constrained Object is validated when one of the following occur:

A service runs with the Validate input or Validate output check box selected on the Input/Output tab.

A service runs via the INVOKE step in a flow service with the Validate input or Validate output properties set on the INVOKE step.

The pub.schema:validate service runs.

A document is published. When this occurs, the contents of the document are validated against the specified document type. For details, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

During testing, when you enter values for a constrained Object or Object list in the Input dialog box.

When you assign a value to an Object or Object list variable on the Pipeline tab using

the Set Value modifier.

Note: A content type corresponds to a simple type from an XML Schema definition. All of the choices in the Content type list correspond to simple types defined in XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes.



Customizing a String Content TypeInstead of applying an existing content type or simple type to a String, String list, or String table variable, you can customize an existing type and apply the new, modified type to a variable. You customize a content type or simple type by changing the constraining facets applied to the type.

When you customize a type, you actually create a new content type. Developer saves the changes as a new content type named contentType_customized. For example, if you customize the string content type, Developer saves the new content type as string_customized.

When customizing a content type, keep the following points in mind:

When you edit the constraining facets applied to a content type, you can only make the constraining facet values more restrictive. The constraining facets cannot become less restrictive. For more information about setting values for constraining facets, see “Setting Constraining Facet Values” on page 243.

The constraining facets you can specify depend on the content type. For more information about the constraining facets for each content type, see Appendix C, “Supported Data Types” on page 419.

The customized content type applies only to the selected variable. To make changes that affect all variables to which the content type is applied, edit the content type in the IS schema. (String content types are simple types from IS schemas.) For more information about editing simple types, see “Editing a Simple Type in an IS Schema” on page 242.

1 Select the variable to which you want to apply a customized content type.

2 In the Constraints category on the Properties panel, click the Content type browse button ( ) and then do one of the following to select the content type you want to customize:

In the Content type list, select the content type you want to customize.

If you want to customize a simple type from an IS schema, click the Browse button. In the Browse dialog box, select the IS schema containing the simple type. Then, select the simple type you want to customize and apply to the variable.

Note: When you edit a simple type definition in an IS schema, the changes are saved to the selected type definition in the IS schema. The modifications affect any variable to which the simple type is applied as a content type constraint. For more information about editing a simple type definition, see “Editing a Simple Type in an IS Schema” on page 242.

To customize a content type



3 Click the Customize button. Developer makes the constraining facet fields below the Content type list available for data entry (that is, changes the background of the constraining facet fields from grey to white). Developer changes the name of the content type to contentType_customized.

4 In the fields below the Content type list, specify the constraining facet values you want to apply to the content type. For more information about constraining facets, see “Constraining Facets” on page 462.

5 Click OK. Developer saves the changes as a new content type named contentType_customized.

Viewing the Constraints Applied to VariablesDeveloper displays small symbols next to a variable icon to indicate the constraints applied to the variable. Developer displays variables in the following ways:

Note: The constraining facets displayed below the Content type list depend on the primitive type from which the simple type is derived. Primitive types are the basic data types from which all other data types are derived. For example, if the primitive type is string, Developer displays the constraining facets enumeration, length, minLength, maxLength, and pattern. For more information about primitive types, refer to XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes at http://www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-2/.

Important! Developer throws exceptions at design time if the constraining facet values for a content type are not valid. For more information about these exceptions, see Appendix G, “Validation Errors and Exceptions”

Variable Constraint status

Required field.

Optional field.

Required field with content type constraint

Optional field with content type constraint

http://www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-2/



Performing Input /Output Val idat ionIn input/output validation, the validation engine in webMethods Integration Server validates the inputs and/or outputs of a service against the declared input and output parameters of the service. If you specify that you want to validate the inputs to the service, the validation engine validates the service input values immediately before the service executes. If you specify that you want to validate the outputs of the service, the validation engine validates the service output values immediately after the service executes. An input or output value is invalid if it does not conform to the constraints applied to the input or output parameter.

For input/output validation, the services’s declared input and output parameters act as the blueprint or model against which input/output values are validated. To effectively use the input and output parameters as the blueprint for validation, you need to apply constraints to the parameters. For information about applying constraints to variables, see “Applying Constraints to Variables” on page 261. For information about declaring service input and output parameters, see “Declaring Input and Output Parameters for a Service” on page 126..

You can specify that you want to perform input/output validation for a service in the following ways:

Input/Output tab. Set properties on the Input/Output tab to instruct the validation engine in webMethods Integration Server to validate the inputs and/or outputs of the service every time the service executes. If a client calls the service and the inputs are invalid, the service fails and does not execute.

INVOKE step properties. Set up input/output validation via the INVOKE step properties to instruct the validation engine to validate the service input and/or output only when it is called from within another flow service. At run time, if the inputs and/or outputs of the service are invalid, the INVOKE flow step that calls the service fails.

To determine which method to use, determine whether or not you want the service input and output values validated every time the service runs. If you want to validate the input and output values every time the service runs, specify validation via the Input/Output tab.

Note: Developer displays the ‡ symbol next to String, String list, and String table variables with a content type constraint only. Developer does not display the ‡ symbol next to Object and Object list variables with a specified Java class constraint. Object and Object lists with an applied Java class constraint have a unique icon. For more information about icons for constrained Objects, see “Java Classes for Objects” on page 421.

Note: The declared input and output parameters for a service are sometimes called the signature of the service.

Performing Input/Output Validation


For example, if your service requires certain input to exist or fall within a specified range of values, you might want the pipeline validated every time the service runs.

If the input and/or output values do not need to be validated every time the service executes, set up validation via the INVOKE step properties. Specifying input/output validation via the INVOKE step properties allows you to decide on a case-by-case basis whether you want validation performed.

Specifying Input/Output Validation via the Input/Output TabYou can specify that you want the inputs and/or outputs of a service validated every time it executes by setting properties on the Input/Output tab of the service. Every time the service executes, the validation engine validates the input and/or output values of the service against the input and output parameters declared for the service.

1 Open the service for which you want to validate input and/or output every time the service is invoked.


3 If you want the input of the service validated every time the service executes, select the Validate input check box.

4 If you want the output of the service validated every time the service executes, select the Validate output check box.


Note: If you specify input/output validation via the INVOKE step and an input or output value is invalid, the service itself does not actually fail. The validation engine validates input values before webMethods Integration Server executes the service. If the service input is not valid, the INVOKE flow step for the service fails. Similarly, the validation engine validates output values after webMethods Integration Server executes the service. If the service output is not valid, the INVOKE flow step for the service fails. Whether or not the entire flow service fails when an individual flow step fails depends on the exit conditions for the service. For information about specifying exit conditions, see “Using SEQUENCE to Specify an Exit Condition” on page 183.

To set up input and output validation via the Input/Output tab



Input/Output tab with validation processing enabled

Specifying Input/Output Validation via the INVOKE StepYou can also specify input/output validation by setting properties for the INVOKE step that calls the service. Each time you insert a service into a flow, you can decide whether you want the validation engine to validate service inputs and/or outputs at run time.

1 In the flow editor, select the INVOKE step containing the service for which you want Integration Server to validate input and/or output values.

2 In the General category on the Properties panel, do the following:

If you want to validate input to the service, set the Validate input property to True.

If you want to validate the output of the service, set the Validate output property to True.


Service input values willbe validated every time

the service executes.Service output values will not be validated.

To set up input and output validation via the INVOKE step

Performing Document Validation


INVOKE properties with validation processing enabled

Performing Document Val idat ionSometimes, you might want to validate an individual document (IData object) in the pipeline instead of the entire pipeline. Using the pub.schema:validate service, you can validate a single document (IData object) in the pipeline against an IS document type.

For example, suppose that you invoke the pub.ldap:lookup service in a flow to retrieve an IData object from an LDAP directory service. If you want to validate that object before you use it in other services, invoke the pub.schema:validate service after retrieving the object. As another example, you might want to validate an XML document that has been converted to document (IData object). You would use the pub.schema:validate service to validate the resulting document (IData object) against an IS document type.

The pub.schema:validate service considers a document (IData object) to be valid when it complies with the structural and content constraints described in the IS document type it

Inputs to the invoked service will be validated.

Outputs of the service will not be validated.

Important! Keep in mind that the Validate input and Validate output properties are independent of any validation settings that you might have already set in the service. If you select the Validate input and/or Validate output check boxes on the Input/Output tab of the invoked service, then every time the service executes, input/output validation is performed. If you also specify input/output validation via the INVOKE step, duplicate validation will result, possibly slowing down the execution of the service.



is validated against. This service returns a string that indicates whether validation was successful and an IData array that contains any validation errors. When you insert the pub.schema:validate service into a flow service, you can specify the maximum number of errors to be collected by the service. You can also specify whether the pub.schema:validate service should fail if the document (IData object) is invalid.

For more information about the pub.schema:validate service, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Performing Pipel ine Val idat ionPipeline validation is the process of verifying the contents of the pipeline against an IS document type. By validating pipeline data, you can:

Ensure a higher degree of accuracy for pipeline content.

Execute or not execute a service based on the validity of the pipeline data.

Eliminate extra validation code in your service.

In pipeline validation, an IS document type is the blueprint or model against which you validate the pipeline. The constraints applied to the variables in the IS document type determine what can and cannot be included in the pipeline. For more information about applying constraints to variables, see “Applying Constraints to Variables” on page 261.

To validate the pipeline, invoke the built-in service pub.schema:validatePipeline. This service instructs the validation engine to compare the pipeline contents against a specified IS document type. The pipeline is valid when it conforms to the structural and content constraints applied to the IS document type. The pub.schema:validatePipeline service returns a string that indicates whether validation was successful and an IData array (errors variable) that contains any validation errors. For more information about the pub.schema:validatePipeline service, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Note: The validation engine in Integration Server performs document (IData object) validation automatically when a document is published. The validation engine validates the published document against the publishable document type.

Tip! If you want to validate only String, String list, or String table variables in the pipeline, use the pub.schema:validatePipeline service. Define an IS document type that contains the variables you want to validate and apply constraints to the variables. Then use this IS document type as the blueprint for the pub.schema:validatePipeline service. Only the variables in the IS document type will be validated. The validation engine ignores other variables that exist in the pipeline at run time. (An IS document type implicitly allows unspecified variables to exist at run time.)

Performing XML Validation in webMethods Integration Server


Performing XML Val idat ion in webMethods Integrat ion Server In webMethods Integration Server, XML validation is the process of verifying the structure and content of an XML document against an IS schema. By validating an XML document, you can ensure that the XML document contains the elements and attributes organized in the structure or format expected by subsequent services. You can also ensure that the elements and attributes contain values that are of the data type expected by subsequent services. In webMethods Integration Server, an XML document is valid when it complies with the structural and content constraints described in the IS schema it is validated against.

For example, if you receive an XML document that contains new employee information, you might want to validate the employee information before executing subsequent services. You might want to make certain the XML document contains an employee name, an address, telephone number, and date of birth information. Additionally, you might want to validate the date of birth information to make sure that it conforms to a specific date format.

To validate an XML document, invoke the pub.schema:validate service. This service instructs the validation engine to validate an XML document by comparing it to a specified IS schema or an IS document type in the Navigation panel. The XML document is valid if it complies with the structural and content constraints described in the IS schema or IS document type. The pub.schema:validate service returns a string that indicates whether validation was successful and an errors variable (an IData array) that contains any validation errors.

Performing Val idat ion from within a Java ServiceYou can use built-in services pub.schema:validate and pub.schema:validatePipeline to perform validation from within a Java service. In the following example, the pub.schema:validate service is used to validate the results of the pub.xml:xmlNodeToDocument service against a specification for an OAG purchase order.

Important! The pub.schema:validate service requires a parsed XML document as input (an XML node). The Integration Server parses XML documents it receives via HTTP or FTP automatically. You can also use the pub.xml:loadXMLNode service or the pub.xml:xmlStringToXMLNode to parse an XML document. For more information about submitting XML documents to services, see the XML Services Developer’s Guide. For more information about the pub.xml services, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Note: For information about errors that can occur during validation, see “Validation Errors and Exceptions” on page 273.



.

.

.

IData validInput;IData dtrResult;...

// initialize the folder and document type name to point to a document type// that exists on webMethods Integration Server

String ifc = "OAG.PO"String rec = "purchaseOrder"

// put the result from the xmlNodeToDocument service (i.e, the object to be // validated) into the key named <object>

IDataCursor validCursor = validInput.getCursor();IDataCursor dtrCursor = drtResult.getCursor();

if (dtrCursor.first("boundNode")) {// assumption here that there's data at the current cursor positionvalidCursor.insertAfter( "object", dtrCursor.getValue() );

}dtrCursor.destroy();

// set the <conformsTo> parameter to point to the document type to validate // against// This document type must exist on webMethods Integration ServervalidCursor.insertAfter( "conformsTo", ifc+":"+rec );

// set the <maxErrors> parameter to the number of allowed validation errorsvalidCursor.insertAfter( "maxErrors", "1000" );validCursor.destroy();

// invoke pub.schema.validate to validate contents of <object>IData validResult = context.invoke("pub.schema", "validate", validInput);

// check <isValid> to see whether <object> is valid and process accordinglyIDataCursor validCursor = validResult.getCursor();if(validCursor.first("isValid")){ if (IDataUtil.getString(validCursor).equals("false")) { IData [] vr = IDataUtil.getIDataArray(validCursor, "errors"); System.out.println ( vr.length+" ERROR(s) found with example"); for (int j=0; j < vr.length; j++ ) { System.out.println( vr[j].toString() ); } }}validCursor.destroy();

.

.

.

Validation Errors and Exceptions


For additional information about pub.schema:validate and pub.schema:validatePipeline, see the Schema services in the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Val idat ion Errors and Except ionsDuring data validation, the validation engine generates errors when it encounters values that do not conform to the structural and content constraints specified in the blueprint. The format in which the validation engine returns errors depends on whether validation was performed using the built-in services or by checking the declared input and output parameters for the service.

When the validation engine performs data validation by executing the built-in services pub.schema:validate or pub.schema:validatePipeline, errors are returned in the errors output variable (an IData list). For each validation error, the errors variable lists the error code, the error message, and the location of the error.

When the validation engine performs validation by comparing run-time data to the declared input and output parameters, the validation engine returns all the validation errors in a string. This string contains the error code, error message, and error location for each error found during input/output validation.

For more information about validation errors, see Appendix G, “Validation Errors and Exceptions”.

Validation ExceptionsIf you use the pub.schema:validate and pub.schema:validatePipeline services to perform data validation, you can determine whether the service should succeed or fail if the data being validated is invalid. You might want a service to succeed even if the data is invalid. In the pub.schema:validate and pub.schema:validatePipeline services, the value of the failIfInvalid input variable determines whether a service fails because of an invalid object.

If the pub.schema:validate and pub.schema:validatePipeline service fails, webMethods Integration Server throws a validation exception. A validation exception is generated if one of the following is true:

Errors are detected in the object (XML node, pipeline, or document (IData object)) that is passed (for example, null value).

The basic validation contract is violated (for example, a binary tree is passed instead of a document (IData object) as expected).

You specify that the service should fail if the object to be validated (XML node, pipeline, or document (IData object)) did not conform to the IS schema or IS document type (for example, failIfInvalid = true). If this is the reason for the exception, webMethods Integration Server inserts the validation errors into the exception message.



Running Out of Memory During ValidationDuring validation of an XML node, a large maxOccurs value for an element in the IS schema used as the blueprint can cause an out of memory error or a stack overflow. To prevent a stack overflow or out of memory error, you can set a threshold value for maxOccurs. When the validation engine encounters a maxOccurs value greater than the threshold value, it proceeds as if the maxOccurs value was equal to 'unbounded'.

To set a maxOccurs threshold value, you can edit the server configuration parameter watt.core.schema.maxOccursThresholdValue. By default, this parameter does not have a value.

1 Start webMethods Integration Server and open the Integration Server Administrator.

2 In the Settings menu of the navigation area, click Extended.

3 Click Edit Extended Settings. The server displays the Extended Settings screen.

4 In the text area under Extended Settings, type watt.core.schema.maxOccursThresholdValue=value where value is the number you want to use as the maxOccurs threshold.

5 Click Save Changes.

To set a maxOccurs threshold value


C H A P T E R 11Test ing and Debugging Services

Testing and Debugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Testing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Testing Services from Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Testing Services from a Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Testing Services that Expect XML Documents as Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

Working in Debug Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Setting Breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

Disabling Flow Steps, Transformers, and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298

Modifying the Current Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302

Saving and Restoring the Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

Other Debugging Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

C H A P T E R 11 Te s t i n g a n d D e b u g g i n g S e r v i c e s


Test ing and DebuggingLike other types of computer programming, developing a service is an iterative process of building, testing, and correcting (debugging) your code.

Developer provides a range of tools to assist you during the testing and debugging phases. For example, you can:

Test services, specify their input values, and inspect their results.

Examine the call stack and the pipeline when an error occurs.

Execute services in “debug” mode, a mode that lets you monitor a flow service’s execution path and/or execute its steps one at a time.

Temporarily disable steps in a flow and/or specify points where you want to halt execution.

Additionally, webMethods provides tools for collecting run-time information that can help debug a service. These include tools to:

Write arbitrary messages to the server log.

Trace the pipeline at run time.

Modify and save the contents of the pipeline at a specified point.

Test ing ServicesYou can test any type of service (flow services or coded services) with Developer, eliminating the need to build special clients simply for testing. It also allows you to easily pass different sets of test data to your service, which makes it easy to test your service under a variety of data conditions.

You can use Developer to test services in two ways:

From Developer. With this technique, Developer is the client. That is, Developer invokes the service and receives the results.

From a browser. With this technique, Developer formulates the URL necessary to invoke the service and passes that URL to your browser. Your browser actually invokes the service and receives the results. When you develop services for browser-based clients (especially ones whose output will be formatted using output templates) you will want to test those services at least once using this technique.

Note: For information about testing triggers and publishable document types, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

Testing Services from Developer


Test ing Services from DeveloperIn most cases, you will test your services using Developer (not a browser) as the client. You do this using the Run command on the Test menu.

When you execute a service with the Run command, Developer invokes the service (just as an ordinary IS client would) and receives its results. The service executes once, from beginning to end (or until an error condition forces it to stop) on the server on which you have an open session.

Before Developer invokes the service, it prompts you for input values. You can type the input values into the dialog box provided by Developer or load the values from a file that was saved during an earlier test.

Results from the service are returned to Developer and displayed in the Results panel. This allows you to quickly examine the data produced by the service and optionally change it or save it to a file. You can use the saved data as input for a later test or to populate the pipeline during a debugging session.

1 Open the service that you want to test.

2 On the Test menu, select Run. If you have not yet saved changes to the service, Developer prompts you to save them.

3 If the service has input parameters, type the input values for each variable in the Input dialog box or click the Load button to retrieve the values from a file. For more information, see “Entering Input for a Service” on page 278.

4 If you want Developer to pass empty variables (variables that have no value) to the service, select the Include empty values for String Types check box. When you select this option, empty Strings are passed with a zero-length value. If you do not select this option, empty Strings are not passed to the service.

5 If you want to save the input values that you have entered, click Save. Input values that you save can be recalled and reused in later tests. For more information about saving input values, see “Saving Input Values to a File” on page 280.

6 Click OK. Developer invokes the service with the specified set of input values.

If the service executes to completion, its results appear on the Results panel. For more information about the Results panel, see “Viewing the Results of the Service” on page 281.

Note: If you selected the Switch to Test perspective check box on the Test page of the Options dialog box (Tools Options), Developer displays the Test perspective when you begin testing a service. For more information about perspectives, see “Switching Perspectives” on page 36.

To test a service using Developer as the client



If the service throws an exception, an error message displays. Click Details in the message box to view the call stack and the state of the pipeline where the error occurred. For more information about errors that occur while testing a service, see “Run-Time Exceptions” on page 284.

Entering Input for a ServiceWhen you test a service with Developer, Developer displays the Input dialog box, which prompts you for input to the service. This dialog box contains an entry for each variable defined by the service’s input parameters. Object variables without constraints are noted as “Not editable by user.”

You can also enter documents and document lists containing string-based children and constrained objects through the Input dialog box.

Enter input values in the Input dialog box

You can manually type your input values into the Input dialog box or, if you saved the input values from an earlier test, you can load them from a file.

You can entersimple Strings...

...and complexdocuments anddocument lists.



1 Open the service and execute it as described in “Testing Services from Developer” on page 277 or “Testing Services from a Browser” on page 286.

2 For each variable listed in the Input dialog box, type an input value. If the service takes complex variables such as a String lists, documents, or document lists, use the following buttons to specify the variable's individual elements.

3 If you want Developer to pass empty Strings to the service, select the Include empty values for String Types check box. When you select this check box, empty Strings are passed with a zero-length value. If you do not select this check box, empty strings are not passed to the service.

Note: If your service expects Object variables that do not have constraints assigned or an Object defined as a byte[ ], you will not be able to enter those values in the Input dialog box. To test these values in a service, you must also create a service that generates input values for your service. Then you need to construct a test harness (a flow service that executes both the service that produces the test data and the service you want to test) and use that harness to test your service.

To enter values by typing them

Use this… To...

Add a row to the variable.

Insert a blank row above the currently selected row.

Add a column to the variable.

Delete the selected row from the variable.

Delete the selected column from the variable.

Note: When you enter values for constrained objects in the Input dialog box, Developer automatically validates the values. If the value is not of the type specified by the object constraint, Developer displays a message identifying the variable and the expected type.



Saving Input Values to a FileYou can save values that you type in the Input dialog box to a file so that you can reuse them in later tests.

When saving input values to a file, keep the following points in mind:

Empty variables (variables that do not have a value) are only saved if the Include empty values for String Types check box is selected. If you do not select this check box, Developer does not save empty variables in the file.

You can store the file in any directory that is accessible to the computer on which Developer is running. Because these files are not actual run-time components, they do not need to be saved in Integration Server’s namespace or even on the server machine itself.

1 Open the service and execute it as described in “Testing Services from Developer” on page 277 or “Testing Services from a Browser” on page 286.

2 Enter input values into the Input dialog box as described in “Entering Input for a Service” on page 278.

3 When you are finished entering values, click Save.

4 In the Save File dialog box, specify the name of the file to which you want the values saved.

Loading Input Values from a FileYou can reload input values that you have saved to a file instead of rekeying the values in the Input dialog box. To do this, click the Load button in the Input dialog box and then select the file that contains the input values you want to use.

When you use input values from a file, keep the following points in mind:

Developer only loads variables whose name and type match those displayed in the Input dialog box. Variables that exist in the file, but not in the dialog box, are ignored. In the case of Object variables without constraints or Object variables of type byte [], the values in the file are not used.

Values from the file replace those already in the Input dialog box.

Note: You might want to consider creating an input file for each set of data that you routinely test your service against. This will provide you with a ready-made set of test cases against which to verify the service when it is modified by you or other developers in the future. Many sites establish a special directory on their development server just for holding sets of test data that they generate in this manner.

To save input values that you have entered for a service



Variables that exist in the Input dialog box, but not in the file, are set to null.

Besides loading values that were saved from the Input dialog box, you can also load values that were saved using pub.flow:savePipelineToFile service or the Save Pipeline commands on the File menu. In addition, you can change values in the pipeline during testing. For information about saving the state of the pipeline, see “Saving and Restoring the Pipeline” on page 303. For information about modifying values in the pipeline, see “Modifying the Current Pipeline” on page 302.

1 Open the service and execute it as described in “Testing Services from Developer” on page 277.

2 When the Input dialog box appears, click Load. The Load File dialog box appears.

3 Select the file containing the input values that you want to load.

Viewing the Results of the ServiceWhen you execute a service with the Run command or with one of Developer’s debugging tools, its results are displayed in the Results panel.

Results from a service you run in Developer are displayed in the Results panel

The upper half of the Results panel displays all the variables in the pipeline. To view the contents of a particular variable, you select the variable in the upper half. Its contents are shown in the lower half.

To load input values that have been saved to a file

To examine thecontents of a variable,

select it in the toppane...

...and view it in thebottom pane.



When viewing the Results panel, keep the following points in mind:

The Results panel represents the contents of the pipeline.

The Results panel shows all variables placed in the pipeline by the service, not just those that were declared in the service’s input/output parameters.

Variables that a service explicitly drops from the pipeline do not appear on the Results panel.

You can browse the contents of the Results panel, but you cannot edit it directly.

You can save the contents of the Results panel to a file and use that file to restore the pipeline at a later point. For additional information about saving and restoring the contents of the Results panel, see “Saving and Restoring the Pipeline” on page 303.

If you run a service and an error occurs, results are not displayed in the Results panel. However, you can click the Details button in the error message box to examine the state of the pipeline at the point where the exception occurred.

When debugging a flow service in step mode, you can use the Results panel to examine the state of the pipeline after each flow step. You can optionally load a different pipeline or modify the existing pipeline between steps. For information about loading a pipeline in the Results panel, see “Saving and Restoring the Pipeline” on page 303. For information about modifying an existing pipeline, see “Modifying the Current Pipeline” on page 302.

When you use a breakpoint or the Trace to Here command to halt execution of a flow service, you can use the Results panel to examine the pipeline at that point where you halted the flow. You may also optionally load a different pipeline or modify the existing pipeline at this point. For information about loading a pipeline in the Results panel, see “Saving and Restoring the Pipeline” on page 303. For information about modifying an existing pipeline, see “Modifying the Current Pipeline” on page 302.

Variables whose object types are not directly supported by the Developer will appear in the Results panel, but because Developer cannot render the values of such objects, a value does not appear in the Value column. Instead, the Value column displays the object’s Java class message.

Variables that contain com.wm.util.Table objects appear as document lists in the Results panel.



Copying Variables from the Results PanelYou can use the Copy command to copy information from the Results panel and paste it into other fields in Developer. The information that Developer inserts when you paste an element from the Results panel depends on the field into which you paste it.

1 Display the Results panel and select the element that you want to copy. (When copying elements from the lower half, you can select a group of contiguous elements by pressing the SHIFT key and selecting the first and last element in the group that you want to copy.)

2 On the Edit menu, click Copy.

3 Select the field into which you want to paste the information, then click Edit Paste After. (If the Paste command is not available, it indicates that the information cannot be pasted into the selected field.)

If you paste to a field that expects… Developer inserts…

A data definition (for example, the Pipeline tab, the Input/Output tab, or a document (IData object))

The copied element's data definition.

The name of an element The copied element’s name (and position if it is a member of a complex element such as a String table, document (IData object), or document list (IData [ ])).

To copy and paste elements from the Results panel



Run-Time ExceptionsIf a service that you run from Developer throws an exception, Developer reports the error in a following message box.

You can click the Details button to display the call stack and the pipeline at the point where the error occurred.

The Details button shows the call stack and the pipeline

...to display the callstack and the

pipeline.

Note: You can improve performance and memory usage in Developer by caching elements, such as services and schemas. For details, see “Caching Elements” on page 70.



The Call StackThe call stack identifies which flow step generated the error and lists its antecedents. For example, let’s say you have a service called PARENT that invokes three services, CHILD_A, CHILD_B, and CHILD_C. If CHILD_B is a Java service and it throws an exception, the call stack will look like this:

Call stack from a nested service

Now let’s assume that CHILD_B is a flow service that calls three Java services: CHILD_B1, CHILD_B2, and CHILD_B3. If CHILD_B3 throws an exception, the call stack will look like this:

Call stack from a deeply nested service

This service threwthe exception.

This service threwthe exception.



Note that the call stack is LIFO based. That is, the top entry in the stack identifies the last (that is, most recent) service invoked. The bottom entry identifies the parent service (the one that you originally invoked from Developer). If the parent itself throws the exception, it will be the only entry in the call stack.

The Pipeline DumpThe Service Failures Detail dialog box contains the contents of the pipeline at the point of failure. Note that when a failure occurs within a Java service, the Pipeline area represents the state of the pipeline at the point when that service was initially called. If the Java service made changes to these values before throwing the exception, those changes will not be reflected in the Pipeline information.

Test ing Services from a BrowserYou can use the Run in Browser command in Developer to test a service from a browser (that is, to simulate a browser-based client). When you use this command, Developer prompts you for the service’s input values, builds the URL necessary to invoke the service with the inputs you specify, and then passes the URL to your browser. When you use this command to test a service, your browser (not Developer) actually invokes the service and receives its results.

If you are developing services that will be invoked by browser-based clients, particularly ones whose output will be formatted using output templates, you will want to test those services using the Run in Browser command to verify that they work as expected.


2 On the Test menu, click Run in Browser. If you have unsaved edits, Developer prompts you to save them.

3 If the service has input parameters, type the input values for each variable in the Input dialog box or click the Load button to retrieve the values from a file. For more information, see “Entering Input for a Service” on page 278.

4 If you want to pass empty variables (variables that have no value) to the service, select the Include empty values for String Types check box. When you select this option, empty

Note: Services invoked from within a Java service are not reported in the call stack, even if they throw the exception.

To test a service using a browser as the client

Note: Only Strings and String lists are passed to the browser.

Testing Services that Expect XML Documents as Input


Strings are passed with a zero-length value. If you do not select this option, Developer excludes empty variables from the query string that it passes to the browser.

5 If you want to save the input values that you have entered, click Save. Input values that you save can be recalled and reused in later tests. For more information about saving input values, see “Saving Input Values to a File” on page 280.

6 Click OK. Developer builds the URL to invoke the service with the inputs you have specified, launches your browser, and passes it the URL.

If the service executes successfully, its results appear in your browser. (If an output template is assigned to the service, the template will be applied to the results before they are returned.)

If the service experiences an error, an error message is displayed in the browser.

Test ing Services that Expect XML Documents as InputIf your service expects an XML document as input (that is, it takes a node as input), you can test it using the Send XML File command. This command prompts you for the name of the XML file and submits the file to the service, emulating the way in which the service would execute if an XML document were posted to it.

To test a service by sending an XML file to the service, you must have Read access to the service.


2 From the Test menu, select Send XML File. If you have unsaved edits, Developer prompts you to save them.

3 In the Select Test Mode dialog box, specify whether you want the service to run in Trace mode or Step mode and click OK.

4 In the Select File dialog box, select the XML file that you want to submit to this service and click OK. Developer submits the file to the server, which parses it into a node object and passes it to selected service.

If the service executes to completion, its results appear on the Results panel. For more information, see “Viewing the Results of the Service” on page 281.

If the service experiences an error, an error message displays. Click Details in the message box to view the call stack and the state of the pipeline where the error occurred. For additional information about errors that occur while testing a service, see “Run-Time Exceptions” on page 284.

To test a service that expects an XML document as input



Working in Debug ModeWhen you use Developer to execute a service using the Run or Run In Browser commands, it executes as a normal service. That is, the server does not execute it any differently than it would if any other client requested it. However, Developer also allows you to test a service in debug mode, a mode that allows you to monitor the execution path of a flow service and/or move through its steps one at a time.

When you run a flow service in debug mode, it is executed in a special way that returns results and other debugging information back to Developer after each step.

Entering Debug ModeYou automatically enter debug mode when you select any of the following commands from the Test menu:

When you first enter debug mode, processing always starts from the first step in the flow service. Completed steps are marked with a gray outline. A step that is “in process” or is

Note: You can only debug one flow service at a time.

Command Description

Trace Executes flow steps one after another to the end of the service and visually marks steps as they execute. For information about using this command, see “Using the Trace Tools” on page 290.

Trace to Here Executes flow steps one after another up to a specified point and visually marks steps as they execute. For information about using this command, see “Using the Trace Tools” on page 290.

Trace Into Executes flow steps one after another to the end of the service and visually marks steps as they execute, including steps in child flows. For information about using this command, see “Tracing into a Child Flow” on page 292.

Step Executes the next flow step and then halts. For information about using this command, see “Using the Step Tools” on page 292.

Step Into Opens a child flow or a MAP step so that you can debug the individual flow steps within it. For information about using this command, see “Stepping though a Child Flow” on page 294 and “Using the Step Tools with a MAP Step” on page 294.

Important! The debug commands are only available for flow services. When a Java service is selected, these commands are not available.

Working in Debug Mode


the next in line to be processed is marked with a green outline. When you step though a flow service or you halt execution using a breakpoint or the Trace to Here command, the green outline indicates which step will execute when you resume processing.

The following example shows a flow service that is being executed using the Step command. As you can see, the BRANCH on ‘PaymentType’ step has three targets. The gray outline shows which path was executed. The green outline indicates that BRANCH on ‘/AuthorizationCode’ is the step that will execute when the next Step command is performed.

Debug mode visually shows you the service’s execution path

Combining the Step and Trace Commands in Debug ModeOnce you enter debugging mode, you can switch among the different debugging commands and examine certain segments of the service more closely than others. For example, you might want to execute the first few steps of a service with the Step command and then simply trace the remainder. Or, you might want to use Trace to Here to execute to a particular point and then execute the remaining flow steps in the service one step at a time.

Tip! You can remove the gray and green trace lines by using the Test Reset command. Note, however, that this will also end your debugging session.

The results of this stepare currently on the

Results panel.

This step will beexecuted next.

This BRANCH targetwas executed with its

respective nestedsteps.



When you combine techniques, remember that the flow step outlined in green always indicates the current point of execution and marks the next flow step that will execute when you resume processing.

Resett ing Debug ModeThe Test Reset command resets debug mode. You must use this command when you want to begin debugging the same service again from the beginning of the flow. The following actions also reset a debugging session:

Executing the Run command

Refreshing Developer’s session on the server

Editing the flow service

The service throws an exception

When a session is reset, trace lines are cleared and the point of execution is set back to the top of the flow service.

The following actions do not reset a debugging session:

Setting breakpoints

Examining the contents of any of the other tabs associated with the service

Saving or restoring the contents of the Results panel

Using the Trace ToolsIf a flow service has a complex path of execution (for example, it contains many branching sequences), it is often useful to simply see which path was taken when the flow executed. The trace tools, Trace, Trace to Here, and Trace Into, allow you to do this. They visually mark the flow steps that are executed within a flow service.

If you want to... Use...

Trace to the end of the service without tracing child services (breakpoints are ignored in this mode)

Trace

Trace to a specified point in the service without tracing child services (breakpoints are ignored in this mode)

Trace to Here

Trace to the end of the service or the next breakpoint, including the paths of all child services that this service invokes

Trace Into



1 Open the service that you want to trace.

2 On the Test menu, click Trace.

If the service is already in debug mode, Developer traces the remaining steps, starting from the current point of execution (the step outlined in green.)

If the service is not in debug mode, Developer starts the trace at the top of the flow. If you have any unsaved changes, Developer prompts you to save those changes before it starts the trace. If the service takes input, you will be prompted for its input values.

1 Open the service that you want to trace.

2 In the editor, select the flow step up to which you want to trace. (Developer will trace all steps up to, but not including, the one you select.)

3 On the Test menu, click Trace to Here.

If the service is already in debug mode, Developer starts at the current point of execution (the step outlined in green) and traces to the selected step. If the selected step is before the current point of execution, the trace starts at the top of the flow.

If the service is not in debug mode, Developer starts the trace at the top of the flow service and traces to the selected step. If you have any unsaved changes, Developer prompts you to save those changes before it starts the trace. If the service takes input, you will be prompted for its input values.

Note: To trace through a top-level service, you must have Execute, Read, and List access to the service. To trace through all the services within a top-level service, you must have Execute, List, and Read access to all services that the top-level service invokes. For more information about ACLs and the trace tools, see “ACLs and Testing/Debugging Services” on page 116.

To trace to the end of a service

To trace to a specified point

Note: If the point to which you want to trace resides in a child of the service that you are testing, you must use the breakpoint feature to trace to that point. For information about setting breakpoints, see “Setting Breakpoints” on page 295.



4 When Developer reaches the selected flow step, it halts. At this point, you may do any of the following:

Examine the contents of the Results panel.

Modify, save, and/or restore the contents of the Results panel.

Use Step or Step Into to execute subsequent flow steps one at a time.

Select another step in the flow service and use Trace to Here to trace to that point.

Select Trace to trace the remainder of the service.

Select Reset to clear the debugging session and reset the starting execution point to the top of the service.

Tracing into a Child FlowMany times, the service you are debugging invokes other flow services (child services). In these cases it is useful to trace the execution paths of the child services as well as the parent that you are testing. You do this with the Trace Into command.

When you initiate a trace with Trace Into, Developer automatically opens and traces the individual steps in every child flow that the parent invokes, including the children of the child services if there are any.

1 Open the parent service that you want to test.

2 On the Test menu, click Trace Into.

If the service is already in debug mode, Developer starts the trace at the current point of execution (the step outlined in green) and traces the service and its children until it reaches a breakpoint or the end of the flow.

If the service is not in debug mode, Developer starts the trace at the top of the flow and traces the service and its children until it reaches a breakpoint or the end of the flow. If you have any unsaved changes, Developer prompts you to save those changes before it starts the trace. If the service takes input, you will be prompted for its input values.

Using the Step ToolsYou use the Step, Step Into, and Step Out commands on the Test menu to interactively execute a flow service one flow step at a time. Stepping through a flow is an effective debugging technique because it allows you to examine (and optionally modify) the data in the pipeline before and after each step. Additionally, if you are trying to isolate an error, step mode can quickly help you pinpoint the offending flow step.

To trace into a child service



Note that at any point while stepping through a flow service, you can do any of the following:

Examine the contents of the Results panel.

Modify, save, and/or restore the contents of the Results panel.

Select a step in the flow service and use Trace to Here to trace to that point.

Select Trace to trace the remainder of the service.

Select Reset to clear the debugging session and reset the starting execution point to the top of the service.

1 Open the service that you want to step through.

2 On the Test menu, click Step.

If the service is already in debug mode, Developer executes the current step (the step outlined in green) and then stops.

If the service is not in debug mode, Developer enters debug mode and selects the first step in the flow service. To execute that flow step, select Step again. If you have any unsaved changes, Developer prompts you to save those changes before it enters debug mode. If the service takes input, you will be prompted for its input values.

If you want to... Use...

Execute the current flow step (the one with the green outline) Step

Open a child flow so that you can debug the individual flow steps within it

Step Into

Return to the parent flow from a child that you have stepped into Step Out

Note: To step through a top-level service, you must have Execute, Read, and List access to the service. To step through all the services within a top-level service, you must have Execute, List, and Read access to all services that the top-level service invokes. For more information about ACLs and the step tools, see “ACLs and Testing/Debugging Services” on page 116.

Note: When you step into a child flow, Developer displays the child flow in the editor.

To step through a flow service



Stepping though a Child FlowMany times, the flow service you are debugging invokes other flow services (child services). In these cases it is useful to step through the individual flow steps within a child service, too. You do this with the Step Into and Step Out commands.

1 Select the parent flow service and step or trace to the flow step that invokes the child flow. See “To step through a flow service” on page 293 or “To trace to a specified point” on page 291 if you need procedures for this step.

2 On the Test menu, click Step Into. Developer opens the child flow service and selects (but does not execute) the first step.

3 On the Test menu, click Step to execute the first step in the child service. Repeat this step for each flow step that you want to individually execute within the child.

4 If you want to return to the parent flow service without stepping through the entire child, click Step Out from the Test menu. This command will trace the remaining steps in the child flow, return to the parent, and then select (but not execute) the next step in the parent flow.

Notes:

While you are debugging the child, you may use Trace to Here or set a breakpoint to execute up to particular point in the child.

If you select Trace or Trace Into while you are debugging the child, Developer traces the remaining steps in the child and returns to the parent automatically.

If you select Step on the last step in the child flow service, Developer automatically returns you to the parent.

You can use Step Into to step into a child flow that is nested within a child that you have stepped into.

If you select Step Into on a step that is not a flow service, Step is executed.

Using the Step Tools with a MAP StepYou can use the Step Into and Step Out commands to debug individual transformers in a MAP step.

1 Select the parent service that contains the MAP step and then step or trace to the MAP step. (That is, make the MAP step the current flow step. Developer indicates this by outlining the step in green.) See “To step through a flow service” on page 293 or “To trace to a specified point” on page 291 if you need procedures for this step.

To step into and out of a child flow

To step into and out of a MAP step

Setting Breakpoints


2 On the Test menu, click Step Into. Developer selects on the Pipeline tab (but does not execute) the first transformer in the MAP step.

3 On the Test menu, click Step to execute the first transformer. Repeat this step for each transformer that you want to individually execute within the MAP step.

4 If you want to return to the parent without stepping through the entire MAP, select Step Out from the Test menu. This traces the remaining transformers in the MAP, returns to the parent, and selects (but does not execute) the next step in the parent flow.

Notes:

If you select Trace or Trace Into while you are debugging the MAP, Developer traces the remaining steps in the MAP and returns to the parent automatically.

If you select Step on the last transformer in the MAP, Developer automatically executes that transformer and returns you to the parent flow.

You can use Step Into to step into a transformer that is a flow service.

If you select Step Into on a transformer that is not a flow service, Step is executed.

Sett ing BreakpointsA breakpoint is a point in a flow service where you want processing to halt when you execute that flow service with certain debug modes. Breakpoints can help you isolate a section of code or examine data values at a particular point in the execution path. For example, you might want to set a pair of breakpoints before and after a particular segment of a flow so that you can examine the pipeline on the Results panel before and after that segment executes.

When working with breakpoints, keep the following points in mind:

Breakpoints are not persistent. They exist only during the life of the Developer session on the current server in which you set them. When you close Developer or refresh the session on the current server, your breakpoints are cleared. (Note that resetting debug mode does not clear your breakpoints.)

Breakpoints are also local to your Developer session on the current server. Breakpoints that you set on your machine do not affect other developers or users who might be executing or debugging services in which you have set breakpoints.

Breakpoints are only recognized when you execute a service with the Trace Into command from Developer. If you execute a service using any of the other testing or debugging commands, breakpoints are ignored.

If you are caching services by using the General area of the Options dialog box, and your flow service has a breakpoint, you cannot clear the cache of the flow service until the breakpoint is removed. For more information about caching, see “Configuring a Service’s Use of Cache” on page 136.



To set a breakpoint in a service, you must have Read access to a service. However, if the service is invoked within another service (a top-level service) to which you have Read access, you can set a breakpoint on the service within the top-level service.

What Happens When a Breakpoint is Encountered?When you execute a service that contains a breakpoint or call a child service that contains a breakpoint, the service is executed up to, but not including, the designated breakpoint step. At this point, processing stops and will not resume until you select another one of Developer’s debugging commands. (Remember, if you want Developer to stop at subsequent breakpoints, you must select the Trace Into command.)

1 Open the flow service in which you want to set a breakpoint.

2 In the editor, select the step that will function as the breakpoint. (During debugging, processing will halt immediately before this step).

3 On the Test menu, click Set Breakpoint. The step’s icon turns red, indicating that it is a breakpoint.

1 Open the flow service in which you want to clear a breakpoint.

2 In the editor, select the breakpoint step.

3 On the Test menu, click Clear Breakpoint. The step’s icon returns to its normal color, indicating that it is no longer a breakpoint.

–OR–

1 On the Test menu, click Breakpoints to display the current list of breakpoints on the current server.

2 In the list, select the breakpoint that you want to clear.

3 Click Remove.

To set a breakpoint on a flow step

To clear a breakpoint from a flow step

Setting Breakpoints


Setting Breakpoints on TransformersYou can set a breakpoint on a transformer in a MAP step. When you execute a service that contains a breakpoint or calls a service that contains a breakpoint on a transformer, the service is executed up to, but not including, the designated breakpoint transformer.

1 Open the flow service in which you want to set a breakpoint.

2 In the editor, select the MAP step containing the transformer that will function as the breakpoint.

3 On the Pipeline tab, select the transformer that will function as the breakpoint. (During debugging, processing will halt immediately before this transformer.)

4 On the Test menu, select Set Breakpoint. The icon appears next to the transformer name, indicating that it is a breakpoint.

1 Open the flow service in which you want to clear a breakpoint.

2 In the editor, select the MAP step that contains the transformer from which you want to clear a breakpoint.

3 On the Pipeline tab, select the transformer from which you want to clear a breakpoint.

4 On the Test menu, click Clear Breakpoint. Developer removes the icon next to the transformer name.

–OR–

1 On the Test menu, click Breakpoints to display the current list of breakpoints on the current server.

2 In the list, select the breakpoint that you want to clear.

3 Click Remove.

Note: Transformers in a MAP step execute in an arbitrary order. You cannot assume an order of execution. Consequently, some of the transformers in the MAP step might execute before Developer reaches the breakpoint, even if the transformers appear below the breakpoint on the Pipeline tab. Likewise, transformers above the breakpoint might not execute before the breakpoint is encountered. (These will execute when you resume tracing.) Executed transformers have a gray outline.

To set a breakpoint on a transformer

To clear a breakpoint on a transformer



Viewing a List of BreakpointsUse the following procedure to view the list of breakpoints that are currently set in your Developer session. From this list, you can also clear and/or go to specific breakpoints.

1 On the Test menu, click Breakpoints.

2 If you want to go to a specific breakpoint, select it and then click Go to Breakpoint.

3 If you want to clear a breakpoint, select it and then click Remove.

Disabl ing Flow Steps, Transformers, and Condit ionsWhen testing and debugging services, you can disable flow steps and transformers. You can also disable the condition placed on a link between variables on the Pipeline tab. The follow sections provide more information about disabling each of these items.

Disabling Flow StepsYou use the Compose Disable Step command to disable a step in a flow service. Steps that you disable are not executed at run time.

Disabled steps appear dimmed when viewed in Developer. If you disable a parent step (for example, a LOOP or a BRANCH), its children are also automatically disabled. If you disable a MAP step, the transformers in the MAP step are also automatically disabled.

Disabled steps are not executed at run time

To display the list of current breakpoints

Note: Remember, breakpoints are not persistent. They only exist during the Developer session on the current server in which you set them. When you refresh or close your session on the current server, your breakpoints are cleared.

Disabled steps appeardimmed in the editor.

Disabling Flow Steps, Transformers, and Conditions


Disabling a step is useful in many testing and debugging situations. For example, you might want to disable one or more steps to isolate a particular segment of a flow, similar to the way you might “comment out” a section of source code in a program you are testing.

Be aware that disabling a step sets a persistent attribute that is saved in the flow service. Once you disable a step, it remains disabled until you explicitly re-enable it with Developer.

1 Open the flow service that you want to edit.

2 In the editor, select the step that you want to disable.

3 On the Compose menu, click Disable Step.

The step dims, indicating that it is disabled.


2 In the editor, select the disabled step that you want to re-enable.

3 On the Compose menu, click Enable Step.

Disabling TransformersYou can also use the Compose Disable Step command to disable a transformer in a MAP step. Transformers that you disable are not executed at run time. In fact, webMethods Integration Server does not execute any of the links between pipeline variables and the variables for a disabled transformer.

Disabled transformers appear dimmed when viewed in Developer.

Important! The run-time effect of disabling a step is the same as deleting it. Disabling a key step or forgetting to re-enable a disabled step can break the logic of a service and/or cause the service to fail. Developer allows you to disable any step in a flow service, but it is your responsibility to use this feature carefully.

To disable a step in a flow service

To enable a step in a flow service



Disabled transformers are not executed at run time


2 In the editor, select the MAP step containing the transformer that you want to disable.

3 On the Pipeline tab, select the transformer you want to disable.

4 On the Compose menu, click Disable Step.

The transformer dims, indicating that it is disabled.

Transformers that aredisabled appear dimmed

on the Pipeline tab.

Note: When you disable the MAP step, Developer automatically disables all of the transformers in a MAP step

Important! The run-time effect of disabling a transformer is the same as deleting it. Disabling a transformer or forgetting to re-enable a disabled transformer can break the logic of a service and/or cause the service to fail. Although Developer allows you to disable any transformer or step in a flow service, use this feature carefully.

To disable a transformer in a MAP step

Disabling Flow Steps, Transformers, and Conditions



2 In the editor, select the MAP step containing the disabled transformer that you want to enable.

3 On the Pipeline tab, select the disabled transformer that you want to enable.

4 On the Compose menu, click Enable Step.

Disabling a Condit ion Placed on a Link Between VariablesWhen you link variables to each other, you can apply a condition to the link that connects the variables. At run time, this condition needs to be true for the value of the source variable to be copied to the target variable. During testing and debugging, you might want to disable or remove the condition from the link to make sure that Developer properly copies data between variables. By disabling the condition, you instruct Developer to ignore the condition placed on the link and automatically execute the link (copy the value from the source variable to the target variable).

Disabling the condition preserves the written expression. When you enable the condition, you do not need to rewrite the expression.

The Pipeline tab uses a blue link (line) to indicate that properties (such as conditions and array indexes) have been applied to the link between variables. Developer retains the blue color even when you disable the applied condition to remind you that properties have been set.


2 In the editor, select the INVOKE or MAP step that contains the link with the condition you want to disable.

3 On the Pipeline tab, select the link with the condition that you want to disable.

4 In the General category of the Properties panel, set the Evaluate copy condition property to False.


2 In the editor, select the INVOKE or MAP step containing the link with the condition you want to enable.

To enable a transformer in a MAP step

To disable a condition placed on a link between variables

To enable a condition placed on a link between variables



3 On the Pipeline tab, select the link with the condition that you want to enable.

4 In the General category of the Properties panel, set the Evaluate copy condition property to True.

Modifying the Current Pipel ineDuring debugging, you can modify the contents of the pipeline and submit those changed values to the next step in the flow service. For example, if you want to see the effect that different values for a variable have on the rest of the service, you can modify the values in the pipeline temporarily and continue debugging. You can also drop values from the pipeline. This functionality is useful for debugging.

When modifying the pipeline, keep the following points in mind:

You can only modify the pipeline when a subsequent step in the service exists to which to pass the pipeline values. For example, if you use Trace for the entire service, you cannot modify the values of the pipeline after the service ends. However, if you use Step to debug the service, you can modify the pipeline values for the next step in the service.

You cannot modify the values of unconstrained Objects and Object lists. However, you can drop them from the pipeline.

You cannot modify the values of recursive documents at the top level. However, you can expand the document and set values at the individual element level.

When you modify values or drop variables from the pipeline, the changes only apply to the current debugging session. The service is not permanently changed.

You can only modify or drop existing variables. You cannot add new variables to the pipeline.

You cannot use a larger editor or have a password field when you modify String values in the pipeline.

1 Use the Step, Step Into, or Trace to Here command to load values into the pipeline for the current step.

2 In the Results panel, select the name of the variable for which you want to change the value.

3 Right-click and select Modify Value.

4 In the Modify Value dialog box, type the new pipeline value for the variable.

To modify values in the current pipeline

Saving and Restoring the Pipeline


5 Click OK. The value is changed in the Results panel.

6 To debug the rest of the service with the new pipeline value, use the Step, Step Into, or Trace to Here command. Keep in mind that the value is only changed for the current debugging session; it is not changed permanently.

1 Use the Step, Step Into, or Trace to Here command to load values into the pipeline for the current step.

2 In the Results panel, select the name of the variable that you want to drop from the pipeline.

3 Right-click and select Drop. The variable disappears from the Results panel.

4 To debug the rest of the service with the dropped pipeline value, use the Step, Step Into, or Trace to Here command. Keep in mind that the value is only dropped for the current debugging session; it is not dropped permanently.

Saving and Restoring the Pipel ineBecause the pipeline contains the data that a service operates against, the ability to save and restore the pipeline when you are debugging a service is something you may frequently want to do. For example, if a service is failing intermittently at run time, you may want to insert steps to save the pipeline at various points in the service so you can capture and examine the data that it was running against after a failure.

Saving the ResultsYou can save the pipeline to a file, which you can use to restore the pipeline to its current state at a later point in time. This is useful when you want to test another service against the current set of pipeline values or if you want to restore the pipeline to this exact state later in the debugging process. There are two ways to save the contents of the pipeline:

You can manually save the contents of the Results panel when you run or debug a service using Developer.

You can programmatically save the pipeline at run time by invoking pub.flow:savePipelineToFile at the point where you want to capture the pipeline.

When you save a pipeline, it is saved in a file in XML format. The file you create can be used to:

Manually load the pipeline into Developer’s Results panel.

Dynamically load the pipeline at run time using the pub.flow:restorePipelineFromFile service.

To drop values from the current pipeline



Load a set of input values into the Input dialog box when testing a service with Developer.

You can view a pipeline file with an ordinary text editor. When saving the pipeline, keep the following points in mind:

Only XML-codable variables are saved. This includes, Strings, String lists, String tables, documents, and document lists. Variables that are not XML codable are not saved.

Empty variables and null variables are saved.

Saving the Contents of the Results PanelUse the following procedure to save the contents of the Results panel to a pipeline file.

1 Display the Results panel and click anywhere within it.

2 Right-click and select one of the following commands:

To save the contents of the Results panel

To… Select this command…

Save the file to your local file system.

Note: If you intend to use the pipeline file to dynamically restore the pipeline using pub.flow:restorePipelineFromFile, use Save Pipeline to Server to save the file to the server (see below).

Save Pipeline Locally

Save the file to the pipeline directory on webMethods Integration Server.

Select this command if you want to use the file to dynamically restore the pipeline at run time using the pub.flow:restorePipelineFromFile service.

Save Pipeline to Server



3 Depending on your action in the previous step, do one of the following:

Saving the Pipeline at Run TimeUse the following general steps to save the pipeline programmatically. You can use this technique to capture the pipeline from a flow service or within a Java service.

1 Open the service.

2 Invoke pub.flow:savePipelineToFile at the point where you want to save a copy of the pipeline.

3 Set the following parameter:

4 Save the service. (If you are using your own IDE, you will need to recompile the service, reregister it on the Integration Server, and reload its package.)

5 Execute the service.

For additional information about pub.flow:savePipelineToFile, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

If you selected… Do this to specify the file name…

Save Pipeline Locally Select the directory in which you want the file saved and assign a name to the file.

Save Pipeline to Server Specify the name of the file in which you want the pipeline saved. By default, Developer saves the file to webMethods6\IntegrationServer\pipeline, which is where the restorePipelineFromFile service expects pipeline files. If you specify a relative path in the file name, the path is understood to be relative to the pipeline directory.

Key Description

filename A string that specifies the name of the file to which you want the file saved. If you do not specify a fully qualified path, the file is saved relative to webMethods6\IntegrationServer\pipeline.



Restoring the PipelinePipeline values that you have saved to a file in the following ways can be used to restore the pipeline:

From the Developer’s Results panel with the Save Pipeline commands.

With the pub.flow:savePipelineToFile service at run time.

From the Input dialog box when you are testing a service with Developer.

Restoring a pipeline is useful when you simply want to inspect the values in a particular pipeline file (perhaps one that contains the pipeline from a failed service). Additionally, it is useful in many testing situations. For example, you can use it to replace the existing pipeline with a different set of values when stepping though a flow service with the debugging tools.

There are two ways to restore the contents of the pipeline:

You can manually load the saved pipeline into the Results panel in Developer.

You can programmatically load a saved pipeline at run time by invoking pub.flow:restorePipelineFromFile at the point where you want to modify the pipeline.

Loading a Saved Pipeline into the Results PanelUse the following procedure to load a pipeline file into the Results panel.

When you load a pipeline file into the Results panel, the contents of the pipeline file completely replaces the current pipeline. If you want to merge the contents of the file with the existing pipeline, use the pub.flow:restorePipelineFromFile service instead and set its merge parameter to “true.” For procedures, see “Loading a Saved Pipeline at Run Time” on page 307.

1 Display the Results panel. (If you simply want to inspect a saved pipeline, create a new, empty flow service and display its Results panel.)

2 Right-click and select one of the following commands:

To load a pipeline file into the Results panel

To... Select...

Load a pipeline file from your local file system Restore pipeline locally

Load a file that resides in the default pipeline directory on webMethods Integration Server

Restore pipeline from Server



3 Depending on your action in the previous step, do one of the following:

Loading a Saved Pipeline at Run TimeUse the following general steps to load a pipeline file programmatically. You can use this technique from a flow service or from a Java service.

1 Open the service.

2 Invoke pub.flow:restorePipelineFromFile at the point where you want to load the pipeline file.

3 Set the following parameters:

4 Save the service. (If you are using your own IDE, you will need to recompile the service, reregister it on webMethods Integration Server, and reload its package.)


For additional information about pub.flow:restorePipelineFromFile, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

If you selected... Do this to specify the file name...

Restore Pipeline Locally Select the file that you want to load.

Restore pipeline from Server

Specify the name of the file that you want to load. Developer retrieves the file from webMethods6\IntegrationServer\pipeline.

Key Description

filename A String that specifies the name of the pipeline file. If you do not specify a fully qualified path, the file is assumed to be relative to webMethods6\IntegrationServer\pipeline. For example, if you set filename to “badPipeline.xml”, restorePipelineFromFile expects to find that file in webMethods6\IntegrationServer\pipeline\badPipeline.xml.

merge A String that specifies whether you want the contents of the file to replace or be merged with the existing pipeline.

Set merge to... To...

false Replace the existing pipeline with the one from the file.

true Merge the contents of the file into the existing pipeline.



Other Debugging TechniquesThis section describes additional tools and techniques you can use to obtain run-time information that is useful for debugging a service.

Using the Server ’s Debug Facil i tywebMethods Integration Server maintains a log file in which it records information about activity on the server. This log file resides in:

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\logs\serveryyyymmdd.log

The log contains information about actions that the server executes, such as loading packages and executing services. The Integration Server creates one server log per day. The following example shows the series of messages that are posted to server log when the server is started. Note that error messages are posted for services that the server cannot load.

Section of server log from the start-up process2002-05-24 15:46:58 EDT [ISS.0025.0001C] Integration Server 6.0 2002-05-24 15:46:58 EDT [ISS.0025.0006C] License Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:00 EDT [ISS.0025.0017C] Repository Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:03 EDT [ISS.0025.0024C] JDBC Connection Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:10 EDT [ISS.0025.0023C] Audit Log Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:10 EDT [ISS.0025.0021C] ACL Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:11 EDT [ISS.0025.0008C] State Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:14 EDT [ISS.0025.0010C] Service Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:14 EDT [ISS.0025.0020C] Validation Processor started2002-05-24 15:47:14 EDT [ISS.0025.0022C] Statistics Processor started2002-05-24 15:47:14 EDT [ISS.0025.0018C] Invoke Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:15 EDT [ISS.0025.0012C] Cache Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:18 EDT [ISS.0098.0026D] Transient Store DefaultStore initialized2002-05-24 15:47:20 EDT [ISS.0098.0026D] Transient Store TriggerStore initialized2002-05-24 15:47:20 EDT [ISS.0098.0021D] Trigger Dispatcher started2002-05-24 15:47:21 EDT [ISS.0106.0003D] Join Message Cache initialized2002-05-24 15:47:21 EDT [ISS.0106.0005D] Join Timeout Thread initialized2002-05-24 15:47:21 EDT [ISS.0106.0001D] Join Manager initialized2002-05-24 15:47:21 EDT [ISS.0025.0032C] Dispatcher initialized2002-05-24 15:47:22 EDT [ISS.0100.0001C] Web Container started2002-05-24 15:47:22 EDT [ISS.0025.0004C] Flow Service Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:22 EDT [ISS.0025.0002C] Package Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:22 EDT [ISS.0025.0011C] Package Replicator Manager started2002-05-24 15:47:22 EDT [ISS.0028.0001C] Loading packages2002-05-24 15:47:26 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading WmRoot package2002-05-24 15:48:07 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading WmPublic package2002-05-24 15:49:12 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading SGXOrders package2002-05-24 15:49:14 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading WmAdminResource package2002-05-24 15:49:15 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading WmAdmin package2002-05-24 15:49:30 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading WmPKI package2002-05-24 15:49:35 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading Purchasing package2002-05-24 15:49:36 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading Default package

Other Debugging Techniques


The Contents of the Server LogThe server log file receives operational and error information from the server’s major subsystems. For example, the package subsystem logs information into server log when it loads and unloads packages; the flow manager records information in the log when it processes a flow service; the HTTP port records requests that it receives, and so forth.

Be aware that the server does not log exceptions thrown by individual services. However, you can code your service to write information to the server log, which can be useful for debugging. For information about writing information to the log file, see “Writing Information to the Server Log” on page 310.

Server Debug Levels The amount and type of information that is logged by the server is determined by the debug level under which the server is operating. The debug level is a value from 1 to 11 that you specify when you start the server. The higher the debug level, the more detail the server keeps in its log.

The following example shows the startup command you would use to start the server at debug level 7.

If you do not explicitly set the debug switch when you start the server, the default value specified in the watt.debug.level parameter is used. webMethods ships the server with watt.debug.level set at 4.

Once you start the server, the debug level is set. When the server is running, you can change the debug level using the Integration Server Administrator. If you do not know the debug level under which your webMethods Integration Server operates, see your webMethods Integration Server administrator.

bin\server.bat –debug 7 bin\server.sh –debug 7

(under Windows)(under UNIX)

Important! Debug levels above 5 produce lots of detail and can quickly generate an extremely large log file. You should not run your server at this level except for brief periods when you are attempting to troubleshoot a particular issue. You may also optionally redirect server log messages to the console instead of a file using the –log none startup switch. For more information about this switch and debug levels, see “Starting the webMethods Integration Server” in the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.



Writ ing Information to the Server LogwebMethods provides built-in services that allow you to write information to the server log at run time. These can be useful during debugging because you can use them to build signals that indicate whether certain segments of code were executed. You can also use them to record the run-time value of a specific variable.

There are two ways to write information to the server log at run time. You can:

Write an arbitrary message to the log using pub.flow:debugLog.

Dump the contents of the entire pipeline to the log using pub.flow:tracePipeline.

Writing an Arbitrary Message to the LogTo write an arbitrary message to the server log, you invoke the built-in service pub.flow:debugLog. You can invoke pub.flow:debugLog from a flow service or a coded service (such as a Java service). When this service executes, it inserts a text string that you specify into the server log. You might use it to post progress messages at certain points in a service (to indicate whether certain segments of code were executed) or to record the value of a particular variable in the log file so you can examine it after the service executes.

The following example shows two progress messages (highlighted) that were posted to the server log using pub.flow:debugLog.

Example of messages posted to server log with pub.flow:debugLog

To use pub.flow:debugLog, take the following general steps:

1 Invoke pub.flow:debugLog at the point where you want the service to write a message to the server log.


Key Description

message A String that specifies the message that you want written to server log. This can be a literal string that you assign to message, however, for debugging purposes, it is often useful to link this parameter to a pipeline variable whose run-time value you want to capture.

2002-05-28 16:56:12 EDT [ISS.0028.0005C] Loading LogDemo package2002-05-28 16:56:53 EDT [ISC.0081.0001E] New LogDemo:demoService2002-05-28 16:57:56 EDT [ISP.0090.0003C] begin database update2002-05-28 16:57:56 EDT [ISP.0090.0003C] database update completed





For additional information about pub.flow:debugLog, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Dumping the Pipeline to the LogSometimes when you are debugging a service, it is useful to obtain a snapshot of the entire pipeline at a certain point in the flow. You can do this by invoking pub.flow:tracePipeline, which puts a copy of the current pipeline in server log. You may invoke pub.flow:tracePipeline from a flow service or a coded service (such as a Java service).

The following example shows the start and end pipeline that was written to the server log with pub.flow:tracePipeline.

function Optional. A String that identifies your service. The String you specify will appear in the second column of the message that debugLog writes to server log. The purpose of this label is to identify which component posted the message to the log.

If you do not assign a value to function, debugLog omits the label. However, keep in mind that assigning a value to function will make it easier for you to locate your service’s message when you examine the log file. Although you can assign a text string of any length to function, only the first 6 characters appear in the log.

level Optional. A String containing a value from 1 to 11, specifying the debug levels under which this message is to be posted to the log. If the server is running at a debug level lower than the value set in level, the message is not put into the log file.

If you do not specify level, 1 is assumed, which means that the message is posted to the log file regardless of which debug level the server is running at. For more information about debug level, see “Server Debug Levels” on page 309.

Key Description



Example of pipeline written to server log with pub.flow:tracePipeline

To use pub.flow:tracePipeline, take the following general steps:

1 Invoke pub.flow:tracePipeline at the point where you want the service to dump a copy of the pipeline to the server log.


Key Description

level Optional. A String containing a value from 1 to 11, specifying the debug levels under which the pipeline will be posted to the log. If the server is running at a debug level lower than the value set in level, the pipeline is not written to the log file.

If you do not specify level, 4 is assumed, which means that the pipeline will not be dumped to the log file unless the server is running at debug level 4 or higher. For more information about debug level, see “Server Debug Levels” on page 309.

2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0001C] --- START tracePipeline [5/28/02 5:37 PM] --2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 0 filename = D:\Program Files\webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\Examples\pub\goes\catalogue.xml2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 0 Buyer = Caroline Wielman2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 0 Address => 2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 1 Street1 = 15788 Cedar Avenue2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 1 City = Apple Valley2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 1 State = MN2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 1 postalCode = 551242002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 0 Order => 2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 1 Date = 5/25/20022002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 1 Items[0] => 2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Code = 9650032002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Description = MaxGear D LtWt D Carabiner2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Qty = 3002002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Price = 8.502002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Total = 28002002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 1 Items[1] => 2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Code = 8963012002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Description = Hikes 10.5x50 Standard Rop2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Qty = 502002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Price = 1752002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Total = 87502002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 1 Items[2] => 2002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Code = 9650072002-05-28 17:37:10 EDT [ISP.0090.0008C] 2 Description = MaxGear D Quick Lock





For additional information about pub.flow:tracePipeline, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.


C H A P T E R 12Bui lding Coded Services

Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

Building Services Using Java . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318

How Java Services Are Organized on the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318

Building Java Services with Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

Building Java Services with Your Own IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

Building Services Using C/C++ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

Building Services Using COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336

Invoking Methods from Existing COM and DCOM Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Writing and Invoking a Visual Basic Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

C H A P T E R 1 2 B u i l d i n g C o d e d S e r v i c e s


Basic ConceptsIn addition to using the built-in services that webMethods provides, you can create customized services in a variety of program languages. This allows you to create a library of custom code that can be accessed and executed from a flow service or from a client application.

This chapter describes how to create your own services using Java, C/C++, and Visual Basic.

The IData ObjectThe IData object is the universal container that services use to receive input from and deliver output to other programs. It contains an ordered collection of key/value pairs on which a service operates. An IData object can contain any number of key/values pairs (elements). The keys in an IData object must be Strings. The values can be any Java objects (including IData objects).

Services Take IData Objects as Input and Return IData as OutputServices take one, and only one, input variable: an IData object. For example:

public final static void myservice (IData pipeline)throws ServiceException

{ return; }

When a service is invoked, webMethods Integration Server passes the IData object to it. The service extracts the actual input values it needs from the elements within the IData object. For example:


{ IDataCursor myCursor = pipeline.getCursor(); if (myCursor.first( "inputValue1" )) { String myVariable = (String) myCursor.getValue(); . . } myCursor.destroy(); . . return;}

Important! Java is the native language for services. When you create services in other languages, you must wrap them to appear as a Java class to webMethods Integration Server.

Basic Concepts


A service returns output by inserting it into an IData object. Any information that is produced by the service and must be returned to the calling program must be written to the IData object. For example:


{ IDataCursor myCursor = pipeline.getCursor(); if (myCursor.first( "inputValue1" )) { String myVariable = (String) myCursor.getValue(); . . } myCursor.last(); myCursor.insertAfter( "outputValue1", myOutputVariable ); myCursor.destroy(); return; }

Getting and Setting Elements in an IData ObjectGetting data from and putting data into IData elements takes two steps. First, you must position the cursor at the IData element. Next, you get or set the data in that element. The class that you can use to position a cursor in an IData object is IDataCursor. The IDataCursor class contains methods for performing basic cursor operations such as placing the cursor at the first, last, or next element in the object.

After you position the cursor on the element with which you want to work, you can use the getValue or setValue methods to read or write the value of that element, respectively. This class also provides methods for inserting new elements, getting key names, and deleting elements.

For more information about using the cursor classes, see the data package in the webMethods Integration Server Java API Reference at webMethods6\Developer\doc\api\Java\index.html.

Creating IData ObjectsYou use the IDataFactory class to create IData objects. For example:

static IData myIDataObject;static{ myObject = IDataFactory.create(); IDataCursor myCursor = myObject.getCursor(); myCursor.insertAfter("VA", new Double("0.045")); myCursor.insertAfter("MD", new Double("0.05")); myCursor.insertAfter("DE", new Double("0.0"));}



For more information about using the IDataFactory class, see the data package in the webMethods Integration Server Java API Reference at : webMethods6\Developer\doc\api\Java\index.html.

Bui lding Services Using JavaSince Java is the native language of services, it is the easiest language in which to build a service.

webMethods Developer provides an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that you can use to create, compile, and publish Java services. The IDE automatically generates an appropriately structured source file that you simply “fill in” using the built-in editor. When you save the source file, the IDE automatically compiles it and registers it on the server.

Although Developer’s IDE is useful for creating small, simple services, you may want to use your own Java IDE to build large services. When you use your own IDE, you must create all of the code yourself, and manually copy and register the class file on the server. webMethods Integration Server provides utilities to publish services you write in your own IDE. For more information about creating Java services without using Developer, see “Building Java Services with Your Own IDE” on page 327.

How Java Services Are Organized on the ServerA Java service is a public static method in a Java class file on webMethods Integration Server. Java services follow a simple naming scheme:

The service name represents the Java method name.

The interface name represents the fully qualified Java class name.

Since Java class names cannot contain the “.” character, services that reside in nested folders are implemented in a class that is scoped within a Java package. For example, a service named recording.accounts:createAccount is made up of a Java method called createAccount in a Java class called accounts within the recording package.

All Java services that reside in the same folder are methods of the same class.

When you build a Java service with Developer, it automatically combines your service into the class file associated with the folder in which you created it. However, if you build a Java service in your own IDE, you will need to add the class file to the server yourself. And, if you want that service to be recognized by Developer, you must insert special comment code in your source code.

Building Java Services with Developer


Bui lding Java Services with DeveloperThe following describes the basic stages involved in creating a Java service with Developer.

Before you create a Java service, you must:

Make sure the package in which you want to create the service already exists. If the package does not already exist, use Developer or the Integration Server Administrator to create it. For details, see “Creating a Package” on page 76.

Make sure the folder in which you want to create the service already exists. If the folder does not already exist, use Developer to create it. For details, see “Creating New Elements” on page 45.

Make sure that all Java and C services are unlocked or locked by you in the folder in which you want to create the new service. For details, see “Locking Java and C/C++ Services” on page 94.

Specify the inputs and outputs of the service. This stage is optional, but recommended. During this stage, you define the service’s inputs and outputs (if you know these) in Developer’s IDE. For information about this stage, see “Generating Java Code from Service Input and Output Parameters” on page 325.Create the Java service using Developer. During this stage, you write your program in Developer’s IDE. For information about this stage, see “Creating a Java Service with Developer’s IDE” on page 323.Specify the service’s run-time parameters. During this stage, you assign parameters that configure the run-time environment for this service. For information about this stage, see “Setting Run-Time Options for a Java Service” on page 326.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Important! All Java services that belong to the same folder reside in the same Java class file. This class has the same name as the folder.



Using the Developer IDEIn the Developer IDE, you use the Java service editor and its Shared tab to create your source code.

The Java Service EditorYou use the Java service editor to build the body of your program. It is like a template you “fill in” with custom Java code. Standard blocks of required code appear in the shaded areas at the top and bottom of the tab. You cannot alter the code in these areas.

The Java service editor is like a template for building a service

The required code at the top of the Java service editor defines a static and final method with a single input parameter: an IData object. The block of required code at the bottom returns the pipeline to the caller.

When you build a Java service, you type (or paste) your code in the text box in the Java service editor. The following example shows a service that gets two values from the pipeline and uses them to compute a sales tax. It puts the computed tax into the pipeline.

Developerautomatically

generates requiredcode for you.



You use the Java service editor to write the body of your service

Type your codein here.



The Shared TabYou use the Shared tab to the specify common (that is, shared) attributes of this class. This includes the superclass and interface declarations, required imports, and member variables that are shared but not exposed as services. The code on this tab is shared by all services in this folder.

You use the Shared tab to specify the common attributes of the class

The Extends field allows you to specify a super class for the implementation. You are not required to specify a super class.

The Implements field specifies the names of Java interfaces that you want to implement in the extended class.

The Imports field specifies the names of additional Java packages whose classes are available to the current class. When you create a Java service with Developer, several Java packages are automatically added to the import list.

The Source field allows you to define global variables and methods that are shared by all services in the current folder. This is useful for building shared data structures and supporting functions that are not intended to be exposed as services. For example, you

Note: It is useful, but not necessary, to extend the class com.wm.app.b2b.server.Service. This class includes static methods for various common tasks, like retrieving the current session ID and formatting error messages.



might use the Source field to define an account table and the methods to used to access it for a set of services that create, get, and delete account information.

Creating a Java Service with Developer’s IDEThe following procedure describes how to create the source code for a Java service using Developer’s IDE.


2 Click Java Service and click Next.

3 In the New Java Service dialog box, next to Folder, select the folder into which you want to save this service.

4 In the Name field, type a name for the service.

5 Click Finish.

6 If you know the set of inputs and outputs your program uses, specify these using the Input/Output tab.

7 Type the code for your service at the top of the Java service editor. For information about Java classes provided by webMethods, see the webMethods Integration Server Java API Reference in webMethods6\Developer\doc\api\Java\index.html.

8 If you want to make additional methods and/or structures available to the service, complete the following fields on the Shared tab.

Note: Because services are implemented as static methods, most shared code is usually static as well.

To create a Java service with Developer

Note: You can use Developer to automatically generate Java code that gets and puts those input and output values in the pipeline. For more information about automatically generating Java code, see “Generating Java Code from Service Input and Output Parameters” on page 325.

Use this field... To specify...

Extends The name of the superclass (if any) of which this class is an extension. If you specify a superclass, type its Java class name (fully qualified if necessary).



9 When you finish specifying your code in the Java service editor and on the Shared tab,

click on the toolbar to save and compile the service.

10 If Developer cannot compile the service because the Integration Server to which you are connected cannot find a Java compiler, Developer displays an error message. Do the following to ensure the Integration Server can locate the Java compiler:

a Ensure that a Java compiler is installed on the same machine as the Integration Server.

b Add the location of the Java compiler to the system path of the machine where the Integration Server is installed.

c Restart the Integration Server.

Implements The names of interfaces within the superclass that this class implements. Take the following steps to specify each interface that you want to implement:

Click to add a new row to the list.

Type the name of a valid Java class name (fully qualified if necessary). You do not need to type the “implements” keyword.

Imports The names of Java packages that this class imports. Take the following steps to specify each package that you want to import:

Click to add a new row to the list.

Type the name of a valid Java class name (for example, com.wm.util.Table) or a package import specification (for example, java.util.*). You do not need to type the “import” keyword.

Source Data structures, methods, and other Java code that you want to make available to all services in this folder.

Use this field... To specify...



Generating Java Code from Service Input and Output ParametersIf, before you start writing your service, you know the set of inputs and outputs that it will use, you can declare the service’s input/output parameters first and generate Java code from it. This code gets the specified input values from the pipeline and assigns them to variables in your program. It also puts the output values into the pipeline.

For example, if the Input/Output tab for the service defines the following variables as input and output:

Developer will generate the following Java code for your service:// pipelineIDataCursor pipelineCursor = pipeline.getCursor();StringState = IDataUtil.getString( pipelineCursor, "State" );StringAmount = IDataUtil.getString( pipelineCursor, "Amount" );pipelineCursor.destroy();

// pipelineIDataCursor pipelineCursor_1 = pipeline.getCursor();IDataUtil.put( pipelineCursor_1, "Tax", "Tax" );pipelineCursor_1.destroy();

When Developer generates code from the service input/output parameters, it puts the code on the Clipboard. From there, you can paste it into your program (at the top of the Java service editor or in your own IDE) and modify it as necessary.

Input Variable Name Type

State String

Amount String

Output Variable Name Type

Tax String

Note: webMethods Integration Server returns everything that your service puts into the pipeline, regardless of what is declared as its input/output parameters. Declaring a service's input and output parameters does not filter what variables the service actually receives or returns at run time. It simply provides a formal description of what the service requires as input and produces as output.



1 Open the Java service for which you want to generate code (if you are creating the Java service in your own IDE, use Developer to create a new, empty Java service that you will use only for the purpose of declaring a set of input/output parameters).

2 Click the Input/Output tab and define the inputs and outputs for this service if they are not already specified. For more information about defining inputs and outputs for a service, see “To declare input and output parameters for a service” on page 131.

3 If you want to generate code for a subset of the variables on the Input/Output tab, select those variables.

4 On the Tools menu, click Generate Code.

5 On the Code Generation dialog box, select For implementing this service and click Next.

6 Specify the following options.

7 Click Finish. Developer generates code and places it on the Clipboard.

8 Paste the contents of the Clipboard into your source code.

Sett ing Run-Time Options for a Java ServiceWhen you create a Java service with Developer, you can set options to specify the run-time behavior of the service. These options determine whether:

The service runs in stateless mode.

The results of the service are maintained in cache.

An output template is applied to the service when it is invoked by a browser.

You specify these options in the Properties panel. For information about using these options, see “Specifying Run-Time Parameters” on page 134 and “Assigning an Output Template to a Service” on page 132.

To generate Java code from the service input/output parameters

Under this... Specify...

Specification Whether you want to generate code for the input variables, the output variables, or both.

Which fields? Whether you want to generate code for all variables in the Input/Output tab or just the selected variables.

Building Java Services with Your Own IDE


Bui lding Java Services with Your Own IDEThere may be times when you want to use your own IDE instead of Developer to build a Java service.

The Namespace DirectoryTo successfully publish (install) a Java service that you have created with your own IDE, you need to understand exactly how Java services are stored on webMethods Integration Server.

Each package on webMethods Integration Server has a namespace directory, called “ns.” For example, a package called “purch” would have the following directory structure:

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\purch\ns

The ns directory contains information about the services in that package. An “entry” in the namespace directory corresponds to a service or a folder. The contents of each entry depend on what kind of entry it is.

Service entries contain information about properties of the service (for example, statelessness), the input and output parameters of the service (if they have been defined), and Java or XML source if the source is available for that service.

Folder entries contain information about the folder. This information is usually limited to Java source for the services in that folder, if available.

For Java services, information about the service is stored in the namespace directory. However, the compiled code for that service (that is, the class file) is stored in the code subdirectory. The following shows the directory path to the class files in the purch package.

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\purch\code\classes\recording\accounts.class

When you use Developer to build a Java service, it automatically updates and maintains the folder and service information in the namespace. However, if you build a Java service in your own IDE, you must use a utility called jcode to compile your service and generate the necessary files in the namespace.

Important! Although you may want to examine the contents of the namespace directories on your webMethods Integration Server, do not modify this information by hand. Only modify this information using the appropriate webMethods tools or utilities. Inappropriate changes, especially to the ns directory of the WmRoot package, can disable your server.



The Source Code DirectoryEach package on the server has a source subdirectory that holds the Java source code for that package, if it is available.

When you finish coding your Java service, save its source file in this directory (subject to the normal Java constraints based on package declarations). You must name the files and intermediate directories according to the name of the service you are installing. For example, the source file for the recording accounts services shown in Appendix E, “jcode tags” would have the following path:

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\purch\code\source\recording\accounts.java

Writ ing the Source Code for a ServiceYour service must be written as a method that takes an IData object as input.

A Java service is a method that is public and static. It takes a single instance of com.wm.data.IData as input and returns output in the pipeline. The following code shows the basic framework for a Java service:

public final static void myservice(IData pipeline) throws ServiceException {return; }

Additionally,

Your Java class must import the following Java packages.

com.wm.data.*;com.wm.app.b2b.server.ServiceException;com.wm.app.b2b.server.Service;

Your Java class must be public.

For performance reasons, it is also recommended that you make your class final.

Using the webMethods APIwebMethods provides classes that you can use with Java services that you build. See the webMethods Integration Server Java API Reference in:

webMethods6\Developer\doc\api\Java\index.html

for a description of these classes.

Note: Services can throw ServiceException. Do not call Service.throwError.



The Basic StagesThe following describes the basic stages involved in creating a Java service with your own IDE.

Commenting Code for the webMethods Integration ServerTo install your finished service on the webMethods Integration Server, you use the jcode utility. To use this utility successfully, you must annotate your source code with jcode tags (specially formatted Java comments) to “mark” the following segments of code:

Imports

Shared code within the class

Service definitions and service inputs and outputs

Create an empty Java service using webMethods Developer (optional). During this stage, use Developer to create an empty Java template that you can use a guideline for coding your own service (see “Creating a Java Service with Developer’s IDE” on page 323).

Specify the input and output parameters (signature) of the service. During this stage, you define the service’s inputs and outputs (if you know these). You can use Developer to generate the input and output code that you can paste into your program (see “Generating Java Code from Service Input and Output Parameters” on page 325).

Create the Java service using your IDE. During this stage, you write and compile your program in your IDE. For more information about this stage, see “Writing the Source Code for a Service” on page 328.

Saving and compiling your code using jcode (optional). During this stage, you can make your source code available for editing by Developer by using the jcode utility. For information, see “Commenting Code for the webMethods Integration Server” on page 329.

Publish the service to the webMethods Integration Server. During this stage, you register your service on the Integration Server using the jcode utility. For information, see “Using the jcode Utility” on page 330.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5



The following code fragment shows the tags used to mark the beginning and end of the import section.

You use similar tags to mark the beginning and end of other components in your source code. For a complete example, see “jcode Example” in Appendix E, “jcode tags”. For additional information about the jcode utility, see the next section “Using the jcode Utility”.

Using the jcode Uti l i tyWhen you finish creating and annotating your source code, you use the jcode utility to compile it and store its service information in the ns directory.

Jcode operates in three basic modes:

Make Mode (for compiling Java source code).

Fragment Mode (for pulling apart source code and storing fragments and signatures in the namespace).

Composite Mode (for rebuilding the source files from fragments in the namespace).

You must use the make and fragment modes to run your services on webMethods Integration Server and edit the source code from Developer.

Make ModeYou use this mode to examine source files for one or more folders in a package and compile those that have been modified since they were last compiled. The jcode utility will report which files were compiled, as well as any errors that were encountered during the process.

To make all the code in a package, type the following on the command line:jcode makeall Package

.

.

.// --- <<IS-START-IMPORTS>> ---import com.wm.data.*;import java.util.*;// --- <<IS-END-IMPORTS>> ---...

Important! Before you can compile a service using jcode, you must set the environment variable IS_DIR to point to the directory in which webMethods Integration Server is installed.



To compile source files, the jcode utility invokes the JDK Java compiler, javac using the following command:

javac –classpath pathName –d classDir fileList

Where pathName is the classpath to use for the compile, classDir is the destination directory for the compiled classes, and fileList is a list of the names of source files to compile.

If you do not have the JDK installed, or you want to use another compiler, you can set webMethods Integration Server’s watt.server.compile property to a new command line (using the arguments described above). For instance, to use IBM’s jikes, you would set this property to:

jikes +E –nowarn –classpath pathName –d classDir fileList

Fragment ModeYou use this mode to update the Java code fragments and service signatures (input and output parameters) in the namespace based on the jcode tags in the source code file. The original source file is not modified, but namespace information is updated and the source code for the service becomes available through Developer.

To fragment all the code in a package, type the following on the command line:jcode fragall Package

To fragment only the code for a single folder (that is, a single Java source file), type the following on the command line:

jcode frag Package Folder

Composite ModeComposite mode is the opposite of fragment mode. You use this mode to build a source file based on the code fragments currently defined in the namespace.

To construct a source file based on the current information in the namespace, type the following on the command line:

jcode comp Package Folder

Important! The existing source file, if there is one, is overwritten by the source file produced by jcode. User locks in Developer will not prevent this, since the jcode utility operates independently of locking functionality.

Important! If your Java source code contains any non-ASCII characters, set the property watt.server.java.source=Unicode | UnicodeBig | UnicodeLittle. The default value is file.encoding. When Unicode is set, the compile command line specified in the property watt.server.compile.unicode is used. The default value of this property is “javac -encoding Unicode -classpath {0} -d {1} {2}”.



Other jcode CommandsBecause the two-step process of making and fragmenting source code is so common, there are several shortcuts built in to jcode.

The “update” mode makes and fragments only source files which have changed. To update (make and frag) all the folders within a package which have changed, type the following at the command line:

jcode update Package

To update (make and frag) all the code in all packages on webMethods Integration Server, type the following at the command line:

jcode upall

To force a make and frag on all packages on webMethods Integration Server, type:jcode hailmary

Bui lding Services Using C/C++You can use Developer to build a set of starter files you can use to create a C/C++ service. These files include:

A Java service that calls your C program.

A C/C++ source-code “template” that you use to create your C program.

A make file you use to compile the finished program and place it on the server.

Before you create a C/C++ service, you must:

Make sure you have a C compiler installed on webMethods Integration Server that you will use to develop and test the service.

Make sure the package in which you want to create the service already exists. If the package does not already exist, create it using webMethods Developer. For more information about creating a package, see “Creating a Package” on page 76. (If you do not have Developer or Administrator privileges, ask your server administrator to do this.)

Make sure the directory for this package contains a “code/libs” directory. When you compile your C/C++ service, the make file places the compiled service (a DLL) in this directory. If the package does not already have a code/libs directory, create one before you begin building the service.

Make sure the folder in which you want to create the service already exists. If the folder does not exist, use Developer to create it. For details, see “Creating New Elements” on page 45.

Declare the input and output parameters for your service in a specification. When Developer generates the starter code for your service, it creates code that extracts the specified

Building Services Using C/C++


input values from the pipeline and assigns them to variables in your program. It also inserts your service’s output variables into the pipeline. To do this, Developer must know the input and output requirements of your service. You supply this information in a specification. For information about creating a specification, see Chapter 9, “Creating IS Schemas, IS Document Types, and Specifications”.

Generating Fi les for a C/C++ ServiceIf you have satisfied the prerequisites identified above, you can use the following procedure to generate the files that you need to build a C/C++ service.


2 Click C Service and click Next.

3 In the New C Service dialog box, in the list next to Folder, select the folder into which you want to save this service.

4 In the Name field, type a name for the service and click Next.

5 Select the platform that describes the machine on which your webMethods Integration Server is running (Developer needs to know this in order to build the right make file). Click Next.

6 Select the specification for this service.

7 Click Finish.

Note: If you are running the Integration Server as an NT service, you must complete one of the following:

• Set the Windows system environment variable PATH to include IntegrationServer\lib

-OR-

• Copy the wmJNI.dll and wmJNIc.dll files located in IntegrationServer\lib to the IntegrationServer directory

where IntegrationServer is the directory in which you installed the Integration Server.

To generate C/C++ project files



The Java Code for a C ServiceWhen you build a C/C++ service, Developer builds a Java service that calls a DLL, which you create by writing a C program. The Java service is the means by which your C program is exposed to clients (IS clients invoke this Java service, not the C program directly). The Java service also supplies the input/output parameters for the program, which makes it possible to include it in a flow service and link its inputs and output on the Pipeline tab.

Developer generates all the Java code needed to successfully call your C program. You may add your own custom code to the C service editor or its Shared tab if you want to execute any special procedures before or after the C program is called, but other than that, this service contains everything you need.

The C service editor contains code that calls the Java wrapper for the C program

The Shared tab contains code that loads the library containing the C program

Building Services Using C/C++


The Input/Output tab declares the input/output parameters for the service

Building the C/C++ Source CodeDeveloper also generates a source code file and a make file for you. It places these files in the following directory:

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\packageName\code\source

The names of the files will match the service name you specified in Developer.

1 Locate the source code and make files.

2 Copy the source code file to a new file (in the same directory) with the following file name:

serviceNameImpl.c

For example, if your service name is PostPO, you would copy PostPO.c to PostPOImpl.c.

You create the program in the serviceNameImpl.c file, not the original file. This is the file in which the make file expects to find your source code. (This step is taken to maintain a copy of the original source file to which you can refer, or revert back to, during your development.)

3 Edit the serviceNameImpl.c file as necessary to build your service.

This file will contain instructive comments that will guide your development. You can also refer to webMethods C API for information about how to use the webMethods C/C++ API to make the data in your service available to other services. This file is located in webMethods6\Developer\doc\api\c\index.html.

To build the C/C++ source code



4 Edit the make file to customize it for your development environment. Set the following path settings:

5 After you finish coding your service, run your make file to compile it. Following is a typical make command:

make –f SalesTax.mak

The make file compiles your program and puts the finished DLL in the code\libs directory in the package in which the service resides (if this directory does not exist when you run the make file, your program will not compile successfully).

6 Once your program compiles successfully, restart webMethods Integration Server to reload the code\libs directory. This makes the service available for execution and allows you to test it with Developer. For details on testing, see Chapter 11, “Testing and Debugging Services”.

Bui lding Services Using COMThere are two ways in which you can use COM objects with webMethods Integration Server. You can:

Invoke methods/properties on existing COM or DCOM objects. webMethods Integration Server includes built-in services for instantiating any COM or DCOM object registered on your system and invoking its methods and properties. This allows you to use existing COM APIs written in Visual Basic or Visual C++ without writing low-level bridging code. For details, see “Invoking Methods from Existing COM and DCOM Objects” on page 337.

Create services using COM. webMethods Integration Server includes libraries for use in your own Visual Basic or Visual C++ code. They allow you to create COM objects that perform work on webMethods data structures. These objects (compiled into ActiveX DLLs or EXEs) can then be registered as native services, indistinguishable from their Java counterparts.

Set... To...

JDKDIR To the directory that contains the Java Development Kit.

SEVRDIR The directory in which webMethods Integration Server is installed (for example, c:\webMethods6\IntegrationServer).

Important! The source code file serviceName.c contains code based on the specification you selected for the service. If you edit the specification, you need to regenerate the source code file. Developer does not update the serviceName.c file automatically. For more information about generating source code files for a C/C++ service, see “Generating Files for a C/C++ Service” on page 333.

Invoking Methods from Existing COM and DCOM Objects


RequirementsTo use webMethods Integration Server with COM or DCOM, your webMethods Integration Server must be running Java Virtual Machine 1.2 or later.

Invoking Methods from Exist ing COM and DCOM ObjectsYou can use webMethods Integration Server to access methods in existing COM and DCOM libraries that do not use webMethods IData objects. For example, you may have a COM object that performs a validation routine on a String and returns an encrypted String in response. It may not be sensible or desirable to wrap this object with a service if the component is simple enough and/or part of an existing, unmodifiable application. In these cases, the dispatch services can help.

Creating the ObjectThe win32.COM.dispatch:createObject service (located in the WmWin32 package) will create an object given a Program ID or the Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) for that object. You need to provide this service with the following inputs:

Important! If you modify Visual Basic code intended for use with webMethods Integration Server libraries, do not use the debug mode in the Visual Basic development environment to test your code. (The debugger does not maintain references to webMethods Integration Server libraries.) Instead, use a logging feature in your development environment to test the code.

Name Description

progid

–OR–

guid

The program ID of the object that you want to invoke.

The Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) of the object that you want to invoke.

context The context for the object, which is INPROC (DLL), LOCAL_SERVER (EXE), or REMOTE_SERVER (EXE).

server DCOM only. The TCP/IP domain name of the machine where the DCOM object is located. For example, doc.rubicon.com or 128.111.222.001.

user Optional. DCOM only. The name of the user in which to launch the remote COM object.

password Optional. DCOM only. The password associated with user.

domain Optional. DCOM only. The Windows domain associated with user.



The service will return a reference to the object called pDispatch or throw an error if the object cannot be created.

Invoking the ObjectTo invoke methods or properties on this object once you have created it, use win32.COM.dispatch:invoke. You need to supply this service with the following inputs:

If the invocation is successful, the return value is contained in “result.” If the result is an object variable, it can then be the target of subsequent calls to invoke by linking the result to pDispatch in the next invoke.

Writ ing and Invoking a Visual Basic ServiceWriting services in Visual Basic is easy. To get started quickly, we suggest you examine the sample project file, wmVBDemo.vbp, using Visual Basic 6.0. It resides in WmSamples\code\source. You can find the WmSamples package in the certified samples area of the Knowledge Base on the Advantage Web Site.

When you open the project, look at the Services class. It contains one method—a simple “HelloWorld” example. It returns “Hello” added to a name that you pass to the service.

Tip! The WmWin32 package is installed with the Integration Server on Microsoft Windows platforms but, by default, is not enabled. To view the package and access its services within Developer, first enable it using the Integration Server Administrator.

Name Description

pDispatch An object reference previously obtained by the call to createObject or obtained in the result value of a previous call to invoke.

dispName The name of the COM method or property that you want to invoke.

accessType Optional. The type of operation (METHOD, GET, PUT, PUTREF) to be performed on dispName. If you are invoking a DCOM object, always set accessType to GET. Incorrect setting of this parameter will cause the invoke to fail.

If you are unsure whether a dispName is a method or property, examine the component’s type library using OLEVIEW or a Microsoft development environment.

params Optional. An object array of parameters. This is exposed in Developer as an array of Strings for usability (because Objects cannot be manipulated in Developer), but is in reality an Object array. If you need to pass complex or native types, you may have to create this value within your own service.



Writing and Invoking a Visual Basic Service


Compil ing a Visual Basic ServiceTo make a Visual Basic class available to webMethods Integration Server, you must compile it. To compile the wmVBDemo.vbp example, open the project in Visual Basic and on the File menu, click Make wmVBDemo.dll. You can save the DLL in any directory. (If you are not sure where to put it, webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\WmWin32\code\libs will work.)

Invoking a Visual Basic ServiceTo execute a service that you have written in Visual Basic, you invoke it using one of webMethods Integration Server’s COM services. There are two services you can use: the late-binding service (win32.COM:invokeLate) and early-binding service (win32.COM:invoke).

Invoking a VB Service Using Late BindingUse the following procedure to create a flow service that uses the late-binding service (win32.COM:invokeLate) to invoke a method from a compiled Visual Basic program.

1 Open the flow service in which you want to invoke the VB method (if the service does not already exist, use the File New command to create it).

2 Click on the editor toolbar, click Browse, and then select win32.COM:invokeLate from the WmWin32 package.

Note: For a complete list of all the methods contained within Values and other objects in the webMethods COM library, click Object Browser on the View menu in Visual Basic and select the webMethods library. The DLL (webMethods.dll) is registered and copied into your system directory during installation of Developer and webMethods Integration Server.

To invoke a VB method using late binding



3 Click the Pipeline tab and use the pipeline modifier to assign values to the following variables in Service In:

Set... To specify...

$progid The name of the library and class (a standard Microsoft COM convention) containing the method you want to invoke. Specify the names using libraryName.className notation.

The following example shows the value you would use for the “Hello World” example:

Example wmVBDemo.Services

Important! Make sure you use the exact combination of uppercase and lowercase letters. Library and class names are case sensitive.

$methodName The name of the method you want to invoke.


Example helloWorld

$context One of the following values, specifying whether your COM object is a DLL or an EXE.

Set this value... If...

INPROC The component was compiled as an ActiveX DLL. This option tells the server to instantiate the object in the same process as the server.

If you are invoking the “Hello World” example, select this option because the example was compiled as a DLL.

LOCAL_SERVER The component was compiled as an ActiveX EXE. This option tells the server to instantiate the object as its own process.

REMOTE_SERVER The object that you want to invoke is a DCOM object on a remote machine. This option tells the server to instantiate the object as its own process.



4 On the Input/Output tab, declare the input and output parameters for your service.

If you are invoking the “Hello World” example, declare a String input parameter name and a String output parameter message. For more information about declaring input and output parameters, see “To declare input and output parameters for a service” on page 131.

5 On the File menu, click Save to save the flow service.

6 On the Test menu, click Run to test the service.

Developer prompts you for input values and then displays the results of the service in the Results panel.

Invoking a VB Service Using Early BindingCreating a flow service that uses early binding is very much like creating one that uses late binding. The only difference is that, with early binding, you use win32.COM:invoke to invoke the Visual Basic method instead of using win32.COM:invokeLate.

Using win32.COM:invoke provides better performance. However, it can only be used to call Visual Basic methods that have the following signature:

Public Sub Sub1(inp as webMethods.Values)

1 Open the flow service in which you want to invoke the VB method (if the service does not already exist, use the File New command to create it).

2 Click on the editor toolbar, select Browse, and then select win32.COM:invoke from the WmWin32 package.

Note: If you created early-binding services with earlier versions of webMethods Integration Server (prior to Version 4.0), you will need to update those services and respecify the input parameters for the win32.COM:invoke service as described in step 3 of the following procedure.

To invoke a VB method using early binding



3 On the Pipeline tab, use the pipeline modifier to assign values to the following variables in Service In:

4 On the Input/Output tab, declare the input and output parameters for your service.

Set... To Specify...

$progid The name of the library and class (a standard Microsoft COM convention) containing the method you want to invoke. Specify the names using libraryName.className notation.


Example wmVBDemo.Services

Important! Make sure you use the exact combination of uppercase and lowercase letters. Library and class names are case sensitive.

$methodName The name of the method you want to invoke.


Example helloWorld

$context One of the following values, specifying whether your COM object is a DLL or an EXE.

Set this value… If…

INPROC The component was compiled as an ActiveX DLL. This option tells the server to instantiate the object in the same process as the server.

If you are invoking the “Hello World” example, select this option because the example was compiled as a DLL.

LOCAL_SERVER The component was compiled as an ActiveX EXE. This option tells the server to instantiate the object as its own process.

REMOTE_SERVER The object that you want to invoke is a DCOM object on a remote machine. This option tells the server to instantiate the object as its own process.



If you are invoking the “Hello World” example, declare a String input parameter name and a String output parameter message. For more information about declaring input and output parameters, see “To declare input and output parameters for a service” on page 131.

5 On the File menu, click Save to save the flow service.

6 On the Test menu, click Run to test the service.

Developer prompts you for input values, executes the service, and then displays the results of the service in the Results panel.


C H A P T E R 13Creat ing Cl ient Code

Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

Building a Java Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

Building a C/C++ Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

Building a Visual Basic Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352

Building an Excel Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

Building a Browser-Based Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356

C H A P T E R 1 3 C r e a t i n g C l i e n t C o d e


Basic ConceptswebMethods Developer enables you to automatically generate client code in a variety of languages and for several environments. Client code is application code that invokes a service on a webMethods Integration Server. It typically performs the following basic tasks:

Prompts the user for input values (if your service takes input)

Places the inputs into an input document (if your service takes input)

Opens a session on webMethods Integration Server

Invokes a service

Receives output from the service

Closes a session on webMethods Integration Server

Displays the output to the user

The client code that Developer generates can serve as a good starting point for your own development.

Bui lding a Java Cl ientYou can use Developer to generate Java client code that invokes a service.

AssumptionswebMethods Integration Server is running.

A fully functional JDK is installed. If you are using the JVM that was installed with the Integration Server, no further action is needed. If you are using a different JVM, do the following to obtain the files the Integration Server needs to support signed libraries:

Building a Java Client


You are using one of the cryptographic service providers (CSPs) that webMethods provides (Sun, IBM, Entrust, or IAIK). If you are using a different provider, the libraries supplied by that provider must be digitally signed.

Your classpath consists of at least the following: webMethods6\Developer\lib\client.jar

If your run-time JDK is... Do the following...

JDK 1.2.* orJDK 1.3.*

Ensure that the Sun JCE 1.2.2 is installed as part of your JVM installation.

If you are running the Sun JVM, look for the files jce1_2_2.jar, local_policy.jar, sunjce_provider.jar, and US_export_policy.jar.

If you are running the IBM JVM, look for the files IBMJCEfw.jar, IBMJCEProvider.jar, local_policy.jar, and US_export_policy.jar.

If these files are not installed, download the Sun JCE 1.2.2 from http://java.sun.com/products/jce/index-122.html.

JDK 1.4.* Ensure that the unlimited strength jurisdiction policy files (local_policy.jar and US_export_policy.jar) are installed as part of your JVM installation.

If these files are not installed, download them as follows:

If you are running the Sun JDK 1.4.*, download the files from http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.1/download.html/.

If you are running the IBM JDK 1.4.*, download the files from http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/.

Note: The client.jar file refers to the files in webMethods6\Developer\lib\entrust. Therefore, the \entrust directory must remain in the same relative path as client.jar.

http://java.sun.com/products/jce/index-122.html

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.1/download.html/

http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/java/jdk/security/



Third-Party LibrariesThe following table describes the third-party libraries that webMethods includes in webMethods6\Developer\lib\client.jar and in webMethods6\Developer\lib\entrust.

Limitat ionsWhen Developer generates client code, it ignores input or output variables that are of type Object or Object list. Client code is not generated for these variables.

When Developer generates client code, Developer replaces any space in a variable name with an underscore.

The client code that Developer generates does not support multiple input or output variables with the same name.

If you want to override these limitations, you will need to modify the client code that Developer generates.

Libraries Source

webMethods6\Developer\lib\entrust

Entrust Java Toolkit 7.0 Patch 90535 Entrust Inc.

http://www.entrust.com

webMethods6\Developer\lib\client.jar

DataDirect JDBC Driver Build #0069 DataDirect Technologies Corp.

http://www.datadirect.com/index.ssp

Jakarta ORO Source Version 2.0.5 Apache Software Foundation

http://jakarta.apache.org/oro/index.html

JavaBeans Activation Framework 1.01Java API for XML Parsing (JAXP) 1.2.2JavaMail 1.2

Sun

http://java.sun.com

International Components for Unicode for Java Download ICU4J version 2.6

IBM

http://oss.software.ibm.com/icu4j/download/2.6/

Xerces Java Parser 2.6.2 Apache Software Foundation

http://xml.apche.org/xerces2-j/

http://www.entrust.com

http://www.datadirect.com/index.ssp

http://java.sun.com

http://oss.software.ibm.com/icu4j/download/2.6/

http://jakarta.apache.org/oro/index.html

http://xml.apche.org/xerces2-j/

Building a Java Client


ProcedureUse the following procedure to generate Java client code that invokes a service:

1 Open the service for which you want to generate client code.


3 In the Code Generation dialog box, select For calling this service from a client, and then click Next.

4 In the Language field, select Java, and then click Next.

5 Specify the directory where you want Developer to place the generated client code. Either select an existing directory or type the path for a new directory. If you type the path for a new directory, Developer creates the directory.

6 Click Finish.

Developer generates the file that contains the Java client code (ServiceName.java) and a Readme.txt file. The Java client code is written to the hard disk in ISO8859_1, the character set in which the file is encoded.

Modify the generated client code to meet your site’s needs. You can update the client code to invoke built-in services and to use the provided Java API. For information about the built-in services that are available, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference. Documentation for the Java API can be found at webMethods6\Developer\doc\api\Java\index.html.

To complete your client application, refer to the Readme.txt file located in the same directory as your client code.

Files That Are GeneratedThis section describes the files that Developer generates for a Java client application.

To generate Java client code that invokes a service

File Name Description

Readme.txt A file that contains information and instructions for the Java client code. Refer to this file for information about compiling and running the Java client application.

ServiceName.java An example file, encoded in ISO8859_1, that contains the application code for the Java client. The application code includes a rudimentary user interface that uses the classes in the FolderName directory. It is not intended for use “as is” in custom applications.



Bui lding a C/C++ Cl ientYou can use Developer to generate C/C++ client code that invokes a service.


A platform that has the C/C++ compiler (for example, GCC) is installed. webMethods generates code for the following platforms: Windows, Solaris, HP-UX, Linux, AIX.

The client.jar file is in the classpath for Developer. The client.jar file is a webMethods file that is located in the webMethods6\Developer\lib directory.

The Make facility is installed.

JDK 1.1.x is installed (if you intend to use the C libraries provided with Integration Server and Developer).

Limitat ionsThe client code that Developer generates does not support multiple input or output variables with the same name.



Important! The provided C libraries are built using JDK 1.1.7. If you want to use a different version of the JDK to compile C/C++ services, you need to rebuild the C/C++ libraries with that JDK and then replace the old library files with the rebuilt ones. For more information about rebuilding the C libraries, see the README installed with the C/C++ SDK.

To rebuild the C libraries, you need use the C/C++ SDK. The C/C++ SDK is not installed by default. To install the C/C++ SDK, select it from the list of installable components during installation.

Building a C/C++ Client


ProcedureUse the following procedure to have Developer generate C/C++ client code that invokes a service:



3 In the Code Generation dialog box, select For calling this service from a client; then click Next.

4 In the Language field, select the C/C++ platform for which you are creating client code. Click Next.

5 Identify the directory where you want Developer to place the generated client code. Either select an existing directory or type the path for a new directory. If you type the path for a new directory, Developer creates the directory.

6 Click Finish.

Developer generates the file that contains the C client code (ServiceName.c), a file that contains compiling settings (ServiceName.mak), and a CReadme.txt file.

Modify the generated client code to meet your site’s needs. You can update the client code to invoke built-in services and to use the webMethods provided C API. For information about the built-in services that are available, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference. For documentation about the C API, see webMethods6\Developer\doc\api\C\index.html.

To complete your client application, refer to the CReadme.txt file located in the same directory as your client code.

Files That Are GeneratedThis section describes the files that Developer generates for a C/C++ client application.

To generate C/C++ client code that invokes a service


CReadme.txt A file that contains information and instructions for the C client code. Refer to this file for information about compiling, running, and deploying your C/C++ client application.

ServiceName.mak A file that contains compiling settings for the C/C++ client. Be sure to update this file with the correct settings for your environment.



Bui ld ing a Visual Basic Cl ientYou can use Developer to generate Visual Basic client code that invokes a service. Developer creates files that contain the layout and the code for your application.


Visual Basic Version 6 is installed.

webMethods 6 Type Library is installed.

Environment SetupYour system PATH environment variable must include the following directory:

webMethods6\jvm\win142\jre\bin\client

Limitat ionsThe client code that Developer generates supports only input values and output values of type String, String list, and String table.




ServiceName.c An example file that contains the C/C++ client code. It is not intended for use “as is” in custom applications.


Note: The webMethods 6 Type Library is a COM object that Visual Basic uses to interact with webMethods Integration Server. The webMethods 6 Type Library is automatically installed when you install Developer.

Building a Visual Basic Client


ProcedureUse the following procedure to have Developer generate Visual Basic client code that invokes a service.



3 In the Code Generation dialog box, select For calling this service from a client, and click Next.

4 In the Language field, select Visual Basic 5/6, and click Next.


6 Click Finish.

Developer generates several files, including the serviceNameReadMe.txt file. This file contains detailed information about all the generated files. Refer to it to complete your client application and for information about deploying your client application.

Files That Are GeneratedThis section describes the files that Developer generates for a Visual Basic client application.

General Files

To generate Visual Basic client code that invokes a service


ServiceName.vbp The Visual Basic project file.

ServiceNameReadme.txt The file that contains information and instructions for the Visual Basic client code. Refer to this file for information about deploying your Visual Basic client application.



Files for the User Interface

Files Containing the Code that Invokes the Service

File Containing the Code that Interacts with webMethods Integration Server


frmArrayInput.frm Contains layout and code that is used if any of the input values for the service are of type String list.

frmOutput.frm Contains layout and code that is used when the service returns output. It also contains the Setup, Invoke, and Exit buttons.

frmSetup.frm Contains layout and code that prompts for the server properties for the webMethods Integration Server on which the service to execute resides.

frmStringInput.frm Contains layout and code that is used if any of the input values for the service are of type String.

frmTableInput.frm Contains layout and code that is used if any of the input values for the service are of type String table.

wmSampleLib.bas Contains code that is specific to the sample template that Developer generates.


ServiceName.bas An example file that illustrates how to use the service class in an application. This module is dependent on objects in the project template that webMethods provides. It is not intended for use “as is” in custom applications.

ServiceName.cls The service object. You include this object in your own project.


wmVBConnection.bas Code used as a layer of abstraction to interact with webMethods Integration Server.

Building an Excel Client


Bui ld ing an Excel Cl ientYou can use Developer to generate client code that executes a service from a MS Excel spreadsheet.


Excel 97 or Excel 2000 is installed.

webMethods 6 Type Library is installed.

Limitat ionsThe client code that Developer generates only supports input values of type String and output values of type String, String list, and String table.




ProcedureUse the following procedure to have Developer generate Excel client code that invokes a service.



3 In the Code Generation dialog box, select For calling this service from a client, and click Next.

4 In the Language field, select Excel 97/2000, and click Next.

Note: The webMethods 6 Type Library is a COM object that Visual Basic uses to interact with webMethods Integration Server. The webMethods 6 Type Library is automatically installed when you install Developer.

To generate Excel client code that invokes a service




6 Click Finish.

Developer generates several files, including the serviceNameReadMe.txt file. This file contains detailed information about all generated files.

7 Copy the wmXLTemplate.xls file, which webMethods provides, to the directory that contains the client code that Developer generated. The wmXLTemplate.xls file is located in the webMethods6\Developer\support\Excel directory.

8 Open the wmXLTemplate.xls file. When prompted to indicate whether you want to enable macros, select Enable Macros.

9 Follow the instructions in the wmXLTemplate.xls file to complete your client application. See the ServiceNameReadMe.txt file for information about deploying your client application.

Files That Are GeneratedThis section describes the files that Developer generates for an Excel client application.

Bui lding a Browser-Based Cl ientYou can invoke a service with a URL. This means that you can invoke a service by entering the URL into your Web browser or by embedding the URL in Web pages.

To build a browser-based client, create one or more Web pages that invoke URLs for one or more services. When webMethods Integration Server receives the first URL from a Web browser, it creates a session for the client on webMethods Integration Server. The session information is stored in a cookie in the browser. As the user of the browser-based application clicks on links to URLs that invoke services, webMethods Integration Server


ServiceNameReadMe.txt A file that contains information and instructions for the Visual Basic client code. Refer to this file for information about deploying your Visual Basic client application.

ServiceName.bas An example file that illustrates how to use the service class in a spreadsheet. This module is dependent on objects in the project template that webMethods provides. It is not intended for use “as is” in custom applications.

ServiceName.cls The service object. You include this object into your own project.

Building a Browser-Based Client


uses the cookies to find session information for the client. webMethods Integration Server keeps the session information for the client until the session expires. Sessions expire based on the configured session time-out value. For more information about setting the session time-out limit, refer to the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.


The input values for the services you want to invoke are determined. You will need to include the input values in the URL that you use to invoke a service.

Limitat ionsWhen you test a service using the Run in Browser command, only input values of the type String and String list will be passed to the service. Input values of the type document, document list, Object, and Object list will not be displayed when the Web page is served.

Invoking Services with a URLFirst, build your Web pages using any tool you choose. To invoke the URL, use either the HTTP GET or the POST method. In either case, use a URL similar to the following:

Note: You cannot use Developer to generate browser-based clients.

Item Description

1 Identifies the webMethods Integration Server on which the service you want to invoke resides.

2 Specifies the required keyword “invoke”, which tells webMethods Integration Server that the URL identifies a service that is to be invoked.

33 Identifies the folder in which the service to invoke resides. Separate subfolders with periods. This field is case sensitive. Be sure to use the same combination of upper and lower case letters as specified in the folder name on webMethods Integration Server.

http://IS_server:5555/invoke/sample.webPageDemo/getProductCost?sku=A1&quantity=1

1 2 33 4 5



Using the HTTP GET MethodTo use the GET method, embed a URL that includes all the input values for the service in the query string portion of the URL. When the server receives the URL, it translates the input values into an IData object. For more information about how the server creates the IData object that it sends to the service, refer to “Input to the Service” on page 359.

Using the HTTP POST MethodTo use the POST method, create an HTML form in your Web page. Create fields in the HTML form in which a user will supply the input information. The values you specify for the NAME attributes of the HTML form fields should match the names of input values that the service expects. Be sure to use the exact combination of upper and lower case letters as specified in your service. For example, if your service requires the input values sku and quantity, you might create an HTML form with the following fields:

<SELECT NAME="sku"><OPTION VALUE="A1">A1</OPTION><OPTION VALUE="B2">B2</OPTION><OPTION VALUE="C3">C3</OPTION></SELECT>

<INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="quantity" VALUE="1">

4 Identifies the service that you want to invoke. This field is case sensitive. Be sure to use the same combination of upper and lower case letters as specified in the service name on webMethods Integration Server.

5 Specifies the input values for the service. Specify a question mark (?) before the input values. The question mark signals the beginning of input values. Each input value is represented as variable=value. The variable portion is case sensitive. Be sure to use the same combination of upper and lower case letters as specified in your service. If your service requires more than one input value, separate each variable=value with an ampersand (&).

Note: Only specify this part of the URL when using the HTTP GET method.

Item Description

Note: If you are serving the Web pages that invoke services from a webMethods Integration Server, you can use a relative URL to invoke the service. By doing so, you can serve the exact Web page from several servers without having to update the URLs.

Building a Browser-Based Client


Specify the URL for the service in the ACTION attribute and “POST” in the METHOD attribute. For example:

<FORM ACTION="/invoke/sample.webPageDemo/getProductCost" METHOD="POST">

After the user fills in the form and submits it, the Web browser creates a document that contains the information the user supplied in the HTML form (performs an HTTP POST). The browser invokes the URL identified in the ACTION attribute, which invokes the service on webMethods Integration Server, and the browser posts the document that contains the user’s input information to webMethods Integration Server. For more information about how the server creates the IData object that it sends to the service, see “Input to the Service” on page 359.

Input to the ServiceRegardless of whether webMethods Integration Server receives a URL that uses the HTTP GET or POST method, it creates an IData object from the input information. It then passes the IData object to the specified service. This becomes the pipeline upon which the service operates.

To create the pipeline object, webMethods Integration Server creates two key/value pairs for each input value: one of type String and one of type String list. For example, if the input values contain the variable sku with value A1 and quantity with value 1, the service is passed the following IData object:

Key Value Data Type

sku A1 String

skuList A1 String list

quantity 1 String

quantityList 1 String list

Note: Avoid using input variable names that end in “List.” Although the Integration Server will accept variable names ending in “List,” the resulting IData may not be structured in the way you need. For example, if you were to pass in a variable called “skuList,” the resulting IData will contain a String called “skuList” and a String list called “skuListList.” Moreover, if you were to pass in variables named “sku” and “skuList,” subsequent “sku” and “skuList” variables in the query string may not be placed in the IData fields as expected.

If you must use “List” at the end of your variable name, consider using “list” (lowercase) or appending one or more characters at the end of the name (for example, abcListXX).



When the server receives multiple input values that are associated with the same variable name, the String variable in the IData object contains only the value of the first variable; the String list variable contains all values. For example, the following shows a URL that contains two values for the variable year and the resulting IData object that the server creates:

/invoke/sample.webPageDemo/checkYears?year=1998&year=1999

Similarly, if the HTML form contains two fields with the same name and a user supplies values for more than one, the String variable in the IData object contains only the value of the first variable; the String list variable contains all values. For example, the following shows sample HTML code that renders check boxes:

<INPUT TYPE="checkbox" NAME="Color" VALUE="blue">Blue<BR><INPUT TYPE="checkbox" NAME="Color" VALUE="green">Green<BR><INPUT TYPE="checkbox" NAME="Color" VALUE="red">Red<BR>

If the browser user selects all check boxes, the document that is posted to webMethods Integration Server will contain three values for the variable named Color. The following shows the IData object that the server passes to the service:

Output from the ServiceBy default, webMethods Integration Server displays the output from a service in a HTML Web page, using a table to render the output values. However, you can format the output using output templates. You can use an output template that formats the output from one service and includes a URL that invokes another service. For more information about output templates, see “Assigning an Output Template to a Service” on page 132.

Key Value Data Type

year 1998 String

yearList 1998 String list

1999

Key Value Data Type

Color blue String

ColorList blue String list

green

red


C H A P T E R 14Subscribing to Events

The Event Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362

Managing Event Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364

Building an Event Handler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

Working with Alarm Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372

Working with Audit Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374

Working with Exception Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376

Working with Guaranteed Delivery Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377

Working with Port Status Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380

Working with Replication Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381

Working with Session Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

Working with Stat Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

Working with Transaction Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386

C H A P T E R 1 4 S u b s c r i b i n g t o E v e n t s


The Event ManagerThe Event Manager monitors the server for events and invokes event handlers when those events occur. An event is a specific action that the Event Manager recognizes and an event handler can react to. An event handler is a service that you write to perform some action when a particular event occurs.

Currently, the Event Manager recognizes the following types of events:

Alarm events occur when the Integration Server throws an exception regarding the status or health of the server. The server generates alarm events when a user cannot log on to the server, a port cannot be started, a user is denied access to a port, an error occurs in Cluster Manager, or a service cannot execute because of errors. Subscribe to alarm events to invoke event handlers that perform specific actions such as notifying administrators about port access exceptions and service failures, or sending information to a console when a port cannot be started.

Audit events occur when a service generates audit data. Subscribe to audit events to invoke specific actions when a particular service or class of service executes.

Exception events occur every time a service throws an exception. Subscribe to exception events to invoke specific event handlers when a particular service or class of service fails.

Guaranteed Delivery events occur when a client uses guaranteed delivery to invoke a service on a Integration Server and when the server returns the service results to the requesting client. There are two types of guaranteed delivery events: GD Start and GD End. Subscribe to GD Start and GD End events to invoke event handlers that perform actions such as logging guaranteed delivery transactions to a file or sending notification.

Port Status events occur each time the Integration Server updates the server statistics. The port status event provides information about the status of all the ports configured on Integration Server. Subscribe to port status events to invoke event handlers that perform actions such as sending port status data to a network monitoring system or writing port status data to a log file.

Replication events occur when the pub.replicator:generateReplicationEvent service executes. Subscribe to replication events to invoke event handlers that perform actions such as notifying package subscribers when a package is published and maintaining a log of pulled or distributed packages.

Session events occur when a client starts or ends a session on the Integration Server or when the Integration Server terminates an inactive session. There are three types of session events: session start, session end, and session expire. Subscribe to session events to invoke event handlers that perform actions such as maintaining your own log files.

The Event Manager


Stat events occur each time the Integration Server updates the statistics log (stats.log). Subscribe to stat events to invoke event handlers that perform actions such as maintaining your own log file or sending server statistics to a network monitoring system.

Transaction events occur when an Integration Server begins and finishes processing a guaranteed delivery transaction. There are two types of transaction events: Tx Start and Tx End. Subscribe to transaction events to invoke event handlers that perform specific actions (such as sending notification or logging information) when a particular guaranteed delivery transaction begins or finishes processing.

What Are Event Handlers?An event handler is a service that you write to perform some action when a particular event occurs. (An event handler can be any type of service, such as a flow service or a Java service.) Event handlers subscribe to the events that they want to be notified of. For example, if you wanted an event handler to execute when a particular service throws an exception, you subscribe the event handler to the exception event for that service.

What Happens When an Event Occurs?When an event occurs, the Event Manager automatically invokes all event handlers that subscribe to the event. The event handlers receive an input object containing run-time information. The exact content of this input object varies depending on the type of event that occurred and, for audit events, the run-time properties set on both Integration Server and the service that generated the event.

Once an event handler is invoked, its execution is completely asynchronous of the event that invoked it. If the execution of a service invokes an event handler (as with audit and exception events), the execution path of the invoking service is not blocked or altered in any way (in fact, it is never even aware that it invoked an event handler).

Other points to keep in mind about events and event handlers:

An event can have more than one subscriber, which means that a single event might invoke several event handlers.

If an event invokes more than one event handler, all the event handlers execute simultaneously. They do not execute serially and they are not invoked in any particular order. (If you have a series of actions that must execute in a specific sequence, you should encapsulate the entire sequence within a single event handler.)

An event handler can subscribe to more than one event.

When event handlers run, they do not generate audit events.

If an event handler throws an exception, it generates an exception event. This is true for all event handlers but exception event handlers. When an exception event handler throws an exception, it does not generate an exception event.



Managing Event Subscr ipt ionsYou can use the Event Manager in Developer to manage all of your event subscriptions. The Event Manager can perform the following tasks:

Subscribe event handlers to events.

View or edit event subscriptions.

Suspend event subscriptions.

Delete event subscriptions.

The following sections contain more information about each of these tasks.

Subscribing to an EventYou can use the Event Manager in Developer to subscribe to an event on the current server. This action registers the event handler with the Event Manager and specifies which events will invoke it. To access the Event Manager, use the Tools Event Manager command.

Use the Event Manager in Developer to subscribe to events

Use the following procedure to subscribe to an event on the current server. To perform this procedure, you must have already:

Identified the event type you want to subscribe to

Identified the service or services that generate an event you want to subscribe to (if you want to subscribe to an audit event, exception event, or GD Start event)

Written the event handler that will execute when the identified event occurs

Note: You can also use built-in services to add, modify, and delete event subscriptions. These services are located in the pub.event folder. For more information about built-in services, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

To subscribe to an event,specify the type of event

that you want to react to......a filter to select the

specific events you wantto react to...

...and the name of theevent handler that is tobe executed when this

event occurs.

Managing Event Subscriptions


1 On the Tools menu, click Event Manager.

2 In the Event Manager dialog box, in the View event subscribers for list, select the event type to which you want to subscribe.

3 Click to add a new subscriber.

4 In the Enter Input Values dialog box, complete the following fields:

5 Click OK. Subscriptions take effect immediately.

To subscribe to an event on the current server


Service The fully qualified name of the event handler that will subscribe to the event (that is, the service that will execute when the event occurs). You can either type the name in the Service field or click to locate and select the service from a list.

Example: sgxorders.Authorization:LogAuthTrans

Filter A pattern string to further limit the events this event handler subscribes to. Filters vary depending on the event type you are subscribing to.

For example, if you are subscribing to an audit or exception event, create a filter to specify the names of services whose events this event handler subscribes to (that is, the services that, when executed, will invoke the event handler specified in Service).

You can use the * character as a wildcard (this is the only wildcard character recognized by this pattern string). The pattern string is case sensitive.

For more information about creating event filters, see “Creating Event Filters” on page 366.

Comment An optional descriptive comment about this subscription.

Enabled Whether the subscription is active or inactive. Set to true to activate the subscription. Set to false to deactivate the subscription. (This allows you to temporarily suspend a subscription without deleting it.)



Creating Event FiltersEvent filters allow you to be very selective about which events you subscribe to. Event filters limit the events for an event type that invoke an event handler. By using event filters, you can subscribe an event handler to only those events generated by a particular service, package, user, or port. For example, you might want an event handler to be invoked only when a specific service generates an audit event. Or, you might want an event handler to be invoked only when a specific user logs on to the Integration Server.

The following table identifies the information that you can filter on for each event type. Notice that you cannot create a filter for some event types. For these event types, every generated event invokes the event handlers subscribed to it.

Note: The Integration Server saves information for event types and event subscriptions in the eventcfg.bin file. This file is generated the first time you start the Integration Server and is located in the following directory: webMethods6\IntegrationServer\config. Copy this file from one Integration Server to another to duplicate event subscriptions across servers.

Important! The asterisk (*) is the only wildcard character allowed in an event filter. All other characters in the pattern string are treated as literals. Pattern strings are case sensitive.

For this event type... You create a filter for...

Alarm Event The message generated by the alarm event. Create a filter that specifies some of the text of the message. The event handler with this filter will process all alarm events containing the specified text.

The following filter specifies that any alarm events that generate a message containing the word “port” will invoke the event handler:*port*

Audit Event The fully qualified name of the service that generates the audit event. Create a filter to specify the services whose audit events you want to invoke the event handler.

The following filter specifies that the service sgxorders.Authorization:creditAuth will invoke the event handler:sgxorders.Authorization:creditAuth



Exception Event The fully qualified name of the service that generates the exception event. Create a filter to specify the services whose exception events you want to invoke the event handler.

The following filter specifies that all services that start with the word “credit” and belong to any folder will invoke the event handler:*:credit*

GD End Event N/A

The filter for all GD End events is the following:*

GD Start Event The fully qualified name of the service that is being invoked using guaranteed delivery. Create a filter to specify the services that, when invoked using guaranteed delivery, will invoke the event handler.

The following pattern string specifies that all services that start with the word “sendPO” and belong to any folder will invoke the event handler:*:sendPO*

Port Status Event N/A

The filter for all port status events is the following:*

Replication Event The name of the package being replicated. Create a filter to specify the packages that, when replicated, will invoke the event handler.

The following filter specifies that a replication event involving the package named “AcmePartnerPkg” will invoke the event handler:AcmePartnerPkg

Session End Event N/A

The filter for all session end events is the following: *

Session Expire Event N/A

The filter for all session expire events is the following: *




Creating Event Filters for ServicesWhen you create a filter for a service name, you can be very selective about which service’s events you subscribe to. You can use regular expressions to create event filters for service names. The following examples show ways you can use regular expressions as event filters to specify an event that a particular service generates.

Session Start Event The user name for the user starting the session on the Integration Server or the groups to which the user belongs. Create a filter to specify which users or which user groups invoke an event handler when they start a session on the server.

The following filter specifies that a session start event generated by a user in the “Administrators” group will invoke the event handler. *Administrators*

Stat Event N/A

The filter for all stat events is the following:*

Tx End Event N/A

The filter for all Tx End events is the following: *

Tx Start Event N/A

The filter for all Tx Start events is the following: *

This filter... Will select events generated by...

sgxorders.Auth:creditAuth The service sgxorders.Auth:creditAuth.

sgxorders.Auth:credit* All services in the sgxorders.Auth folder, starting with the characters “credit.”

sgxorders.Auth:* All services in the sgxorders.Auth folder.

sgxorders.* All services in the sgxorders folder and its subfolders.

*.Auth*:credit* All services starting with the characters “credit” that reside in any subfolder whose name starts the characters “Auth.”




Viewing and Edit ing Event Subscriptions


2 In the View event subscribers for list, select the event type for which you want to view subscriptions.

3 Click the subscription you want to edit, and then click .

4 Modify the fields in the Enter Input Values dialog box as needed and then click OK.

5 Repeat steps 2–4 for each subscription you want to view or edit.

6 Click OK when you finish viewing or editing event subscriptions. Your changes take effect immediately.

Suspending Event SubscriptionsYou can suspend an event subscription. By suspending an event subscription, you temporarily stop the execution of the event handler without deleting or removing the event handler. While the event subscription is suspended, the Event Manager does not invoke the associated event handler when the server generates the event to which it is subscribed. You can resume an event subscription at any time.


2 In the Event Manager dialog box, in the View event subscribers for list, select the event type for which you want to suspend a subscription.

3 Click the subscription you want to edit, and then click .

4 In the Enter Input Values dialog box, in the Enabled list, select false.

5 Repeat steps 2–4 for each event subscription you want to suspend.

6 Click OK when you finish suspending event subscriptions. Your changes take effect immediately.

*:credit* All services starting with the characters “credit” in any folder.

* All services.

This filter... Will select events generated by...

To view or edit an event subscription on the current server

To suspend an event subscription



Deleting an Event Subscription


2 In the Event Manager dialog box, in the View event subscribers for list, select the event type for which you want to delete a subscription.

3 Click the subscription you want to delete, and then click .

4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each subscription you want to delete.

5 Click OK when you finish deleting events. Your changes take effect immediately.

Bui lding an Event HandlerBuilding an event handler involves the following basic stages:

To delete an event subscription

Creating an empty service. During this stage, you create the empty service that you want to use as an event handler.

Declaring the input and output. During this stage, you declare the input and output parameters for the event handler by selecting the specification or IS document type for the event type in pub.event. The specification and IS document type indicate the run-time data that will be contained in the IData object passed to the event handler.

Inserting logic, code, or services. During this stage, you insert the logic, code, or services to perform the action you want the event handler to take when the event occurs. If you are building a flow service, make sure to link data between services and the pipeline.

Testing and debugging the service. During this stage, you use the testing and debugging tools available in Developer to make sure the event handler works properly.

Subscribing to the event. During this stage, you use the Event Manager to subscribe the event handler to the event. This action registers the event handler with the Event Manager and specifies which events will invoke it. You can create filters to be more selective about which events you subscribe to.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Building an Event Handler


Sample Event HandlerFollowing are instructions for building an event handler named processLogon. The processLogon event handler sends a notification to a specified email address (such as the Server Administrator) when anyone in the Administrators group logs in to the Integration Server.

Create an empty flow service and name it processLogon.

1 On the Input/Output tab, next to the Specification Reference field, click .

2 In the Select dialog box, navigate to and select the pub.event:sessionStart specification.

3 Click OK.

1 On the editor toolbar, click and select Browse.

2 In the Browse dialog box, navigate to and select the pub.client:smtp service. Click OK.

3 On the Pipeline tab, use the Set Value modifier to assign values to the following variables in Service In:

4 On the File menu, click Save to save the service.

To create the event handlerStage 1

To assign input and output parameters to the event handlerStage 2

To insert services into the event handlerStage 3

For this field… Specify…

to The email address for the person to send event notification to.

subject %userid% logged in

The subject of the email message will contain the user ID of the person who logged on to the Integration Server as a member of the Administrators group.

mailhost The network name of your mailhost (for example, [email protected]).

body Administrators user %userid% logged into session %sessionName% with session ID %ssnid%

The body of the email message will contain the user name, session name, and session ID for the person who logged on to the Integration Server as an Administrator.



Use the testing and debugging tools in Developer (such as Test Run) to test and debug the service. For more information about these tools, see Chapter 11, “Testing and Debugging Services”.


2 In the Event Manager dialog box, in the View event subscribers for list, select Session Start Event.

3 Click to add a new event subscription.

4 In the Enter Input Values dialog box, complete the following fields:

5 Click OK. Subscriptions take effect immediately.

Working wi th Alarm EventsAn alarm event occurs when the Integration Server generates a message related to the status of the server. An alarm event can be generated for the following reasons:

A client experiences a logon failure or is denied access to the Integration Server. A client cannot log on because of “invalid credentials.”

Errors occur in the Cluster Manager. The inability to add a port to a cluster can cause errors in Cluster Manager.

To test and debug the event handlerStage 4

To subscribe the event handler to the eventStage 5

In this field… Do this…

Service Click and use the Select dialog box to navigate to and select the processLogon service.

Filter Type: *Administrators*

This pattern string specifies that the processLogon event handler will execute only when a user belonging to a user group containing the string “Administrators” logs on to the server.

For more information, see “Building Handlers for Session Start Events” on page 383.

Comment Specify a descriptive comment about this subscription.

Enabled Select true to activate the subscription.

Working with Alarm Events


A user tries to access a port and is denied access to the port. (This can happen when a user tries to execute a service not allowed on the port.) This type of alarm event is sometimes called a port access exception.

A port cannot be started. The most common reason a port cannot start is that the port is being accessed by another application.

A service cannot be loaded or executed due to setup errors. For a flow service, a possible error is a missing XML metafile. For a Java service, possible errors include a missing class file or method.

You can use alarm events to invoke event handlers that execute when the server generates messages related to the status of the server. For example, you might want to create an event handler that notifies the administrator when a user is denied access to the server or to a port, when a service fails to load or execute, or when a port does not start. You can also create event handlers to send data to a network monitoring system.

Building Handlers for Alarm EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for an alarm event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and IS document type for these parameters are provided in the pub.event folder.)

Key Description

time A String containing the date and time that the alarm event occurred, in the format yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss.SS

service A String containing the fully qualified name of the service that generated the event. A service can generate an alarm event when a client invokes a service that accesses information or a service on a remote server. If the client is not a member of an allowed group for the port on the remote server, the service will generate an alarm event.

sessionID A String containing the identification number for the session during which the alarm event was generated. Some alarm events are not generated during sessions. In these cases, the sessionID variable will not contain a value.

msg A String containing the error message from the alarm event.

Tip! When you subscribe an event handler to an alarm event, you can create a filter for the msg field to be more selective about the alarm events that invoke the event handler.



Working with Audit EventsAn audit event occurs when a service generates audit data. You can use the options in a service’s Audit properties to specify when a service generates audit data. A service can generate audit data once, twice, or zero times during execution. You can use audit events to invoke other services when a particular service executes. For example, you might want an audit event generated for a critical service to invoke a logging service or a notification service. For more information about specifying when a service generates audit data, see “Configuring Service Auditing” on page 145.

Building Handlers for Audit EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for an audit event, the event handler receives an IData object that contains the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for the input data are provided in the pub.event folder.)

Key Description

time A String containing the date and time the event occurred. By default, the format is yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss z. You can set the format by specifying the watt.server.dateStampFmt property. For instructions about how to specify server property settings, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

threadID A String containing the hash identifying the server thread that generated the audit event.

service A String containing the fully qualified name of the service that generated the event.

ssnid A String containing the identification number for the session of the service that generated the event.

result A String indicating the audit point. Will be one of the following:

String Description

Started This event marks the beginning of a service.

Ended This event marks the end of a service that executed successfully.

Working with Audit Events


The audit event handlers that you build can make use of these inputs as they need to. Keep in mind that when the service’s Log on option is set to Error, success, and start an audit event handler is called twice each time a service runs: once when the service starts and again when it ends. Your event handler can check the value of the result parameter to determine whether it is processing an audit event from before or after the service executed. For more information about the Log on property in the Audit category of the Properties panel, see “Specifying When Audit Data Is Generated” on page 147.

Also, if your event handler needs data from the invoking service’s pipeline, make sure that service’s Include pipeline option is set to Always or On errors only. Otherwise, the pipeline element won’t be included in the input object that is passed to your event handler.

Failed This event marks the end of a service that executed unsuccessfully (that is, threw an exception) and is not configured to retry or has exhausted all retries.

Note: To capture details about any exception that is thrown when a service fails, you must subscribe to Exception Events. For information about Exception Events, see the following section.

Retried A retried event will be created each time a service is retried. Events are only created for a service if auditing for that type of event is enabled for the service (for example, start events will not be created unless auditing for service start is enabled for that service).

pipeline A copy of the state of the pipeline at the point where the event occurred. Note that this element is only included in the input object if the Include pipeline property is set to Always or On errors only or if the watt.server.auditLog server property is set to verbose. For more information about the Include pipeline property in the Audit category of the Properties panel, see “Including the Pipeline in the Audit Log” on page 149.

user A String containing the user name that invoked the service that generated the event.

Key Description

Tip! When you subscribe an event handler to an audit event, you can create a filter for the service field to specify the services whose audit events you want to subscribe to. That is, you can specify which services’ audit events invoke the event handler.



Working with Except ion EventsAn exception event occurs when a service throws an exception (including when a flow service “exits on failure”). You can use exception events to invoke some prescribed action, such as notifying an administrator, when a particular service fails.

If a nested service throws an exception, an exception event is generated by each service in the call stack. For example, if service A1 calls service B1, and B1 throws an exception, both B1 and A1 generate exception events (in that order).

Building Handlers for Exception EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for an exception event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for this signature reside in the pub.event folder.)

Note: Keep in mind that event handlers are processed independently of the services that invoke them. They are completely separate, asynchronous processes. Event handlers are not designed to replace the error handling and/or error recovery procedures that you would normally include in your service.

Key Description

time A String containing the date and time the event occurred. By default, the format is yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss z. You can set the format by specifying the watt.server.dateStampFmt property. For instructions about how to specify server property settings, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

error A String containing the error message from the exception.

localizedError A String containing the error message text in the language that corresponds to your locale.

errorType A String containing the exception type that was thrown.

errorDump A String containing more detailed information about the exception (if the exception object contains dump information).

service A String containing the fully qualified name of the service that generated the event.

user A String containing the user that requested the service that generated this event.

callStack A document (IData object) containing the items in the call stack. See the pub.event:callStackItem IS document type for the definition of the documents in callStack.

Working with Guaranteed Delivery Events


Working with Guaranteed Del ivery EventsA guaranteed delivery event occurs when a client uses guaranteed delivery to invoke a service on a remote Integration Server, and when the server returns the service results to the requesting client. There are two types of guaranteed delivery events:

GD Start events occur when a client uses guaranteed delivery to invoke a service on a remote the Integration Server. In a flow service, executing the pub.remote.gd:start service generates a GD Start event.

GD End events occur when a client receives the results of the service it requested using guaranteed delivery. In a flow service, executing the pub.remote.gd:end service generates a GD End event.

Each guaranteed delivery transaction generates a GD Start event and a GD End event.

You can subscribe to GD Start and GD End events to invoke event handlers that log guaranteed delivery transactions to a file or database. You might also want to use guaranteed delivery events to invoke event handlers that send notification. For example, if you use guaranteed delivery to invoke a service that processes purchase orders, you might want to send notification to a business account manager about purchase orders

pipeline A copy of the state of the pipeline at the point when the exception occurred.

threadID A String identifying the thread that invoked the service.

ssnid A String containing the identification number of the session during which the exception occurred.

errorMsgID A String containing the identification number for the error message.

errorDetails A document (IData object) containing additional exception information provided by the author of the Java service. For more information about constructing exceptions to return additional information, see the webMethods Integration Server Java API Reference for the com.wm.util.LocalizedException class.

nestedErrorInfo A document (IData object) containing any nested errors and exceptions. See the pub.event:exceptionInfo IS document type for the definition of the items in nestedErrorInfo.

Key Description

Tip! When you subscribe an event handler to an exception event, you can create a filter for the service field to specify the services whose exception events you want to subscribe to. That is, you can specify which services’ exception events invoke the event handler.



from a particular client, or when the value of a purchase order is greater than a certain amount.

Guaranteed Delivery Events and Transaction EventsGuaranteed delivery events are related to transaction events (Tx Start and Tx End). Guaranteed delivery events begin when a client requests a guaranteed delivery transaction (GD Start) and when the client receives the results of the guaranteed delivery transaction (GD End). Transaction events occur when a service invoked using guaranteed delivery begins executing (Tx Start event) and when the service finishes executing (Tx End event).

The following diagram illustrates when guaranteed delivery events and transaction events occur during a guaranteed delivery transaction. In the following scenario, a local Integration Server uses guaranteed delivery to invoke a service on a remote server.

A Guaranteed Delivery Transaction generates Guaranteed Delivery Events and Transaction Events

Stage Description

1 Service A uses guaranteed delivery to invoke Service B on the remote Integration Server. When the local server requests Service B, the local server generates a GD Start event. By default, the GD Start event is logged to the txoutyyyymmdd.log file.

2 The remote Integration Server receives the request and begins executing Service B. When the remote server begins executing Service B, the remote server generates a Tx Start event. By default, the Tx Start event is logged to the txinyyyymmdd.log file.

33 The remote Integration Server finishes executing Service B and generates a Tx End event. By default, the Tx End event is logged to the txinyyyymmdd.log file.

webMethods Integration Server (local)

webMethods Integration Server (remote)

1 2

Service BService A

5 4 3

Working with Guaranteed Delivery Events


For more information about guaranteed delivery, see the Guaranteed Delivery Developer’s Guide.

Building Handlers for Guaranteed Delivery Start EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a GD Start event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters reside in the pub.event folder.)

4 The remote Integration Server sends the results of Service B to the requesting client (here, the local Integration Server).

5 The local Integration Server receives the results of Service B and generates a GD End event. By default, the GD End event is logged to the txoutyyyymmdd.log file.

Key Description

time A String containing the date and time that the event occurred, in the format yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss.SS.

TID A String containing the transaction identification number of the service that generated the GD Start event.

svcname A String containing the name of the service invoked using guaranteed delivery.

result A String containing the status of the guaranteed delivery transaction, such as NEW.

Stage Description

Tip! When you subscribe an event handler to a GD Start event, you can create a filter for the svcname field to specify the services in a guaranteed delivery transaction that you want to subscribe to. That is, you can specify the services that when invoked using guaranteed delivery will invoke the event handler.



Building Handlers for Guaranteed Delivery End EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for an GD End event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters reside in the pub.event folder.)

Working with Port Status EventsA port status event occurs each time the Integration Server updates the server statistics. The port status event provides current status information about all of the configured ports on the Integration Server.

You can use port status events to invoke services that send port status data to a network monitoring system. You can also use port status events to invoke services that write port status data to a log file.

Key Description


TID A String containing the transaction identification number of the service that generated the GD End event.

result A String containing the status of the guaranteed delivery transaction, such as DONE.

Note: The watt.server.stats.pollTime property determines the frequency with which the Integration Server updates server statistics. The default frequency is 60 seconds. If you change this value, you must restart the Integration Server for the change to take effect. For more information about this property, see the webMethods Integration Server Administrator’s Guide.

Working with Replication Events


Building Handlers for Port Status EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a port status event, the event handler receives an IData object that contains the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type with these parameters are provided in the pub.event folder.)

Working with Repl icat ion EventsA replication event occurs when the pub.replicator:generateReplicationEvent service executes. You might want to generate and subscribe to replication events to invoke event handlers that automate the completion of the package replication and distribution processes. For example, you could create replication event handlers that do the following:

Notify package subscribers when a package is published.

Maintain a log of replicated packages.

Maintain a log of the packages distributed or “pushed” to your subscribers.

Maintain a log of the packages your partners pulled from you.

Key Description

portStatusInfo A document reference list containing status information for each configured port on the Integration Server.

String Description


port A String containing the number for the port.

status A String indicating the status of the port.

protocol A String indicating the type of port (for example, http, https, ftp, or e-mail).

primary A String indicating the primary port. By default, the Integration Server designates an HTTP port at port 5555 as the primary port.

enabled A String indicating whether or not the port is enabled. The value will be one of the following:

String Description

true The port is enabled.

false The port is disabled.



For more information about the pub.replicator:generateReplicationEvent service, see the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Building Handlers for Replicat ion EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a replication event, the event handler receives an IData object that contains the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters are provided in the pub.event folder.)

Working with Session EventsA session event occurs when a client starts or ends a session on the Integration Server or when the Integration Server terminates an inactive session. You can subscribe to any of the following types of session events:

Session Start events occur when a developer uses Developer to open a session on the Integration Server or when an IS client opens a session on the server to execute services.

Session End events occur when a developer or IS client specifically issues a disconnect instruction to the Integration Server.

Session Expire events occur when the Integration Server terminates an inactive session.

You can subscribe to session events to invoke event handlers that maintain your own log files or to invoke event handlers that send notification about users opening sessions on the server.

Key Description


action A user-defined String describing the action (such as create or push) for the replication event. You can use the value of the action variable to maintain separate logs for each action type.

package A String containing the name of the released or pushed package.

service A String containing the name of the flow service that invoked the pub.replicator:generateReplicationEvent service.

Tip! When you subscribe an event handler to a replication event, you can create a filter to specify the package that, when replicated, will invoke the event handler.

Working with Session Events


Building Handlers for Session Start EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a session start event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters reside in the pub.event folder.)

Building Handlers for Session End EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a session end event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters reside in the pub.event folder.)

Key Description

time A String containing the date and time the event occurred, in the format yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss.SS.

sessionID A String containing the identification number of the session.

userid A String containing the user ID that the IS client or developer used to log on to the Integration Server.

sessionName A String containing the name of the new session.

Tip! When you subscribe an event handler to a Session Start event, you can create a filter so that only session start events generated by a specific user or by a member of a specific group invoke the event handler.

Key Description



rpcs A String containing the number of service calls performed during the session.

age A String identifying how long the session existed (in milliseconds) before it ended.



Building Handlers for Session Expire EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a session expire event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters reside in the pub.event folder.)

Working with Stat Events A stat event occurs each time the Integration Server updates the statistics log (stats.log). The statistics log maintains statistical information about the consumption of system resources. The watt.server.stats.pollTime property determines the frequency with which the Integration Server updates statistics. The default frequency is 10 seconds.

You can use stat events to invoke event handlers that maintain your own log file or to invoke event handlers that send server statistics to a network monitoring system.

Key Description

time A String containing the date and time the event occurred, in the format yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss.SS.


rpcs A String containing the number of service calls performed during the session.

age A String identifying how long the session existed (in milliseconds) before it expired.

Note: The Integration Server provides an agent that you can configure for use with a network monitoring system. For information about implementing this agent, see the readme file in the agentInstall.jar file located in the webMethods6\IntegrationServer\lib directory.

Working with Stat Events


Building Handlers for Stat EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a stat event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters reside in the pub.event folder.)

Key Description

startTime A String containing the date and time that the event occurred, in the format yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss.SS.

uptime A String identifying the length of time the server has been running, in the format yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss.SS.

totalMem A String identifying the total amount of used and unused storage space available (in kilobytes) to the Integration Server.

freeMem A String identifying the amount of unused storage space available (in kilobytes) to the Integration Server.

usedMem A String identifying the amount of storage used (in kilobytes) by the Integration Server.

freeMemPer A String identifying the percentage of free memory.

usedMemPer A String identifying the percentage of used memory.

svrT A String identifying the number of executing services.

svrTMax A String identifying the maximum number of services that executed concurrently during the previous poll cycle.

sysT A String identifying the number of threads in use.

sysTMax A String identifying the maximum number of threads that executed concurrently during the previous poll cycle.

conn A String identifying the number of current sessions on the Integration Server.

connMax A String identifying the maximum number of connections that ran concurrently during the previous poll cycle.

reqTotal A String identifying the total number of requests during the poll cycle.

reqAvg A String identifying the average processing duration for a service during the previous poll cycle.

newReqPM A String identifying the new requests per minute at the beginning of the poll cycle.

endReqPM A String identifying the new requests per minute at the end of the poll cycle.



Working with Transact ion EventsA transaction event occurs when an Integration Server begins and finishes executing a guaranteed delivery transaction. There are two types of transaction events:

Tx Start events occur when an Integration Server begins executing a service invoked with guaranteed delivery.

Tx End events occur when an Integration Server finishes executing a service invoked with guaranteed delivery.

Transaction events result from guaranteed delivery transactions. Each guaranteed delivery transaction generates a Tx Start event and a Tx End event. In fact, the transaction events occur between the guaranteed delivery events. A Tx Start event occurs immediately after a GD Start event and a Tx End event occurs immediately before a GD End event. For more information about how transaction events relate to guaranteed delivery events, see “Guaranteed Delivery Events and Transaction Events” on page 378.

You can subscribe to Tx Start and Tx End events to invoke event handlers that log guaranteed delivery transactions to a file or database. You might also want to use transaction events to invoke event handlers that send notification.

errSvc A String identifying the number of services that completed with errors since the Integration Server started.

svcRate A String identifying the number of service starts and ends per second during the last poll cycle.

ssnUsed Number of licensed sessions currently active.

ssnPeak Greatest number of licensed sessions that have run concurrently on the server.

ssnMax Maximum number of sessions for which the server is licensed.

errSys A String identifying the number of errors that were not caused by services in the previous poll cycle.

Key Description

Working with Transaction Events


Building Handlers for Transaction Start EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a Tx Start event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters reside in the pub.event folder.)

Building Handlers for Transaction End EventsWhen the Event Manager invokes an event handler for a Tx End event, the event handler receives an IData object containing the following run-time data. (A specification and an IS document type for these parameters reside in the pub.event folder.)

Key Description


TID A String containing the transaction ID for the guaranteed delivery transaction that generated the event.

result A String containing the status of the guaranteed delivery transaction, such as NEW.

Key Description


TID A String containing the transaction ID of the guaranteed delivery transaction that generated the event.

result A String containing the status of the guaranteed delivery transaction, such as DONE.


C H A P T E R 15Bui lding Services that Retry

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390

Requirements for Retrying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390

Building a Service that Throws an Exception for Retry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391

C H A P T E R 1 5 B u i l d i n g S e r v i c e s t h a t R e t r y


OverviewWhen creating a service, you can construct and configure the service to retry automatically if a transient error occurs during service execution. A transient error is an error that arises from a temporary condition that might be resolved or restored, such as the unavailability of a resource due to network issues or failure to connect to a database. The service might execute successfully if the Integration Server waits a short interval of time and then retries the service.

To signal the Integration Server to re-execute the service, you can build the service to throw an ISRuntimeException when a transient error occurs. Then, if a service ends because of an ISRuntimeException and you set retry properties for the service (or the trigger calling the service), the Integration Server will re-execute the service using the original service input.

This appendix provides guidance for building flow services that retry if a transient error occurs during service execution.

Requirements for RetryingIf you want a service to catch a transient error, re-throw it as an ISRuntimeException, and then re-execute, the following criteria must be met:

You must configure the Retry on ISRuntimeException properties for the top-level service. For more information about configuring service retry and how the Integration Server retries services, see “Configuring Service Retry” on page 140.

If the service functions as a trigger service (the service is invoked by a trigger), you must configure the Retries on error properties for the trigger. For more information about configuring trigger retries and how the Integration Server retries trigger services, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

If the service is a flow service, the service must invoke pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry.

If the service is written in Java, the service can use com.wm.app.b2b.server.ISRuntimeException().

Adapter Services and Retry BehaviorAdapter services built on Integration Server 6.0 or later, and based on the ART framework, detect and propagate exceptions that signal a retry if a transient error is detected on their back-end resource. At run time, adapter services detect if their back-end server is down or the network connection is broken. The adapter service propagates an exception that is based on ISRuntimeException. This behavior allows for the automatic retry when the service is invoked by a trigger or invoked within a flow that is configured to retry when an ISRuntimeException occurs.

Building a Service that Throws an Exception for Retry


For more information about adapter services, see the relevant adapter guides.

Bui lding a Service that Throws an Except ion for RetryA flow service that will be retried if a transient error occurs during service execution consists of the following basic sections of logic:

A try sequence that executes the work that you want the service to perform.

A catch sequence that handles any exception that occurs during the try sequence, determines if a transient error caused the exception, and indicates whether the Integration Servers should retry the service.

An outer sequence that exits successfully if either the try sequence or catch sequence succeeds.

A throw exception for retry block that executes only if the catch block indicated that the service should be retried.

How to Build a Service that Throws an Exception for RetryThe following describes the general steps that you take to build a service that will retry if a transient error occurs during service execution.

1 Insert a SEQUENCE step. This SEQUENCE step will act as the outer sequence for the try sequence and the catch sequence.

Set this outer SEQUENCE to exit on SUCCESS. This indicates that the sequence will exit when any child step in the sequence succeeds. If the inner try sequence (the first child of this parent SEQUENCE) succeeds, then the inner catch sequence will be skipped, an ISRuntimeException will not be thrown, and the entire service will have executed successfully.

Note: If you invoke an adapter service within a flow service that uses the try-catch structure, and the try contains an adapter service, make sure that the catch structure can interpret the adapter service exception that signals a retry. You must ensure that the error evaluating logic in the catch structure can account for the adapter service exception that signals a retry. If it does not, the Integration Server will not retry the flow service. For details about building a flow service that throws an ISRuntimeException, see “Building a Service that Throws an Exception for Retry”, below.

Note: This section describes one possible way to build a service that throws an exception for retry.



2 Insert an inner SEQUENCE step for the try sequence. This sequence will contain the logic that you want the service to perform.

Set this inner try sequence to exit on FAILURE. This indicates that the try sequence will exit when a step in the SEQUENCE fails. The Integration Server will then execute the next step in the flow service, which is the catch sequence.

Make sure that the try sequence is a child of the outer sequence that you inserted in step 1.

3 Insert the logic that you want the service to perform. These steps contain the work that you want the service to do.

Make sure to indent the steps below/under the try SEQUENCE step.

4 Insert a SEQUENCE step for the catch sequence. This sequence contains the steps needed to catch the exception, determine its cause, and then determine whether the service can be retried.

Set the catch sequence to exit when DONE. This indicates that the Integration Server executes every step in the catch sequence, even if one of the steps fails.

Make sure that the catch sequence is a child of the outer sequence that you inserted in step 1.

5 Invoke pub.flow:getLastError in the catch sequence to retrieve error information. This service retrieves information about the last exception that occurred in the flow service. In this case, the pub.flow:getLastError service retrieves information about the error that caused the try sequence to fail.

Make sure to indent the pub.flow:getLastError invoke step below the catch SEQUENCE step.

Using pub.flow:getLastError to catch the error information is optional.

6 Insert error evaluation logic. This logic should do the following:

Determine whether the last error is a transient error that can be retried.

Important! The pub.flow:getLastError service must be the first service invoked within the catch sequence. If it is not the first service invoked, and a preceding service in the catch sequence fails, the error thrown in the try sequence will be overwritten with the new error.

Note: If the flow service includes an adapter service, and a transient error occurs during adapter service execution, the adapter service throws an exception that extends the ISRuntimeException.



If the service can be retried, set a flag to indicate this. For example, you might set a variable named isTransientError to “true”. A subsequent BRANCH step will use the flag to determine whether to execute the pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetryService.

Keep in mind that you might need to use more than one service to handle the error, determine if it was caused by a transient error, and set the transient error flag.

Make sure to insert the exception evaluation logic within the catch sequence, but after the pub.flow:getLastError service.

7 Insert a BRANCH step that branches on the value of the transient error flag. This BRANCH step will determine if an ISRuntimeException should be thrown. You can branch on a switch value or branch on an expression. Do one of the following:

If you are branching on a switch value, in the Switch property, specify the name of the pipeline variable whose value will act as the switch. For example, if you use the isTransientError variable as the flag to indicate that a transient error occurred, you would use isTransientError as the switch.

If you are branching on an expression, set the Evaluate labels property to True..

8 Invoke the pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry service. This service wraps an exception and rethrows it as an ISRuntimeException.

Assign this service a label that indicates that this step should execute when the transient error flag is true. For example, if you built the BRANCH step to use isTransientError is set to true when a transient error occurred and you want the Integration Server to retry the service, set the Label property to: true.

Make sure that this step is a child of the BRANCH step.

Important! You must position the BRANCH step so that it is outside of the try and catch sequences and is a sibling of the outer sequence. This is because exceptions thrown within a sequence are ignored and the BRANCH step will contain the pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry service.



You can also provide the following optional parameters to the pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry service.

Example—Building a Service that Throws an Exception for RetryThe following flow service executes a nested service, catches any exception that occurs, determines if a transient error caused the exception, and, if necessary, throws an ISRuntimeException so that the entire service can be retried.

Trying a service, catching an error, and throwing an exception for retry

Name Description

wrappedException An Object containing any exception that you want to include as part of this ISRuntimeException. This might be the exception that causes the pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry service to execute. For example, if the service attempts to connect to a database and the connection attempt fails, you might map the exception generated by the database connection failure to the wrappedException parameter.

message A string containing a message to be logged as part of this exception.

Note: If you want to insert retry logic into a service that makes database calls or involves transactions, your service needs to include logic for starting, committing, and rolling back the transaction. Specifically, the rollback call should be made in the catch sequence.



# Description

Step 1 Create outer SEQUENCE that exits on SUCCESS. This step creates a sequence that wraps the try sequence and the catch sequence. The sequence is set to exit on success so that the outer sequence will exit when a child step executes successfully. That is, setting the outer sequence to exit on success allows the outer sequence to exit without executing the catch sequence when the try sequence succeeds.

Step Description

1.1 Create try SEQUENCE that exits on FAILURE. This step creates the try sequence that contains all of the logic you want the service to execute. This step is set to exit on failure so that the Integration Server will execute the next step (the catch sequence) within the outer sequence.

Step Description

1.1.1 Insert service logic. This step represents the logic that you want the service to perform. In many services, the service logic might consist of multiple services or flow steps.

If the try sequence executes successfully, the entire outer sequence exits. The Integration Server skips the catch sequence because the outer sequence exits upon the success of any child step (in this case, the try sequence). The Integration Server then executes the next step in the flow service (the BRANCH on ‘/isTransientError’ step).

If an error occurs while executing this step, the try sequence exits (it is set to exit on FAILURE), and the Integration Server executes the catch sequence.

1.2 Create catch SEQUENCE that exits on DONE. This step creates the catch sequence that contains the logic that should be performed when an error occurs during the try sequence. This step contains logic that evaluates the error to determine whether the entire service can be retried.

The catch sequence is set to exit on DONE. This means that the Integration Server executes all the steps in the catch sequence. The Integration Server considers the catch sequence to be successful after all the child steps execute. Because the catch sequence is successful, the outer sequence exits (it is set to exit on SUCCESS), and the Integration Server executes the next step in the flow service.

To determine whether a transient error occurred, this step contains the following steps.



Step Description

1.2.1 Catch the last error. This step invokes the pub.flow:getLastError service to catch the error that caused the try sequence to fail.

1.2.2 Determine if error was a transient error. This step evaluates the contents of the lastError document returned by the pub.flow:getLastError service to determine whether the try sequence failed because of a transient error. In many services, you might use multiple services or flow steps to determine whether a transient error occurred.

1.2.3 Set flag to indicate whether service should retry. This step sets the transient error flag to indicate if a try sequence failed because of a transient error. In this case, if a transient error occurred, the transient error flag (the variable isTransientError) is set to “true”.

After this step executes, the Integration Server exits the catch sequence, exits the outer sequence, and then executes the next step in the flow service (the BRANCH on ‘/isTransientError’ step).

Step 2 Check transient error flag. This step specifies that the value of the isTransientError variable should be used to determine whether the service should throw an ISRuntimeException.

If the try sequence executed successfully, the Integration Server falls through to the end of the service because the value of the switch variable does not match any of the target steps (if the try sequence succeeded, isTransientError is null). In this case, the Integration Server considers the execution of the flow service to be successful.

Step Description

2.1 Throws ISRuntimeException. This step executes the pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry service if the value of isTransientError is “true”. This service wraps the exception generated by the transient error in the try sequence and rethrows it as an ISRuntimeException. The Integration Server will retry the service.

# Description


A P P E N D I X AwebMethods Flow Steps

BRANCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398

EXIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401

INVOKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402

LOOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

REPEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406

SEQUENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408

A P P E N D I X A w e b M e t h o d s F l o w S t e p s


BRANCHThe BRANCH step selects and executes a child step based on the value of one or more variables in the pipeline. You indicate the variables you want to branch on by specifying a switch value or by writing an expression that includes the variables.

Branching on a Switch ValueWhen you branch on a switch value, you specify the switch variable in the Switch property of the BRANCH step. In the Label property for each child step, you specify the value of the switch variable that will cause that child step to execute. At run time, the BRANCH flow step executes the child step that has the same label as the value of the Switch property.

If you want to execute a child step when the value of the Switch property is an empty string, leave the Label property of the child step blank. If you want to execute a child step when the Switch property is a null or unmatched string, set the Label of the child step to $null or $default.

BRANCH flow step using a switch

if the value of choice is ‘Name1’

if the value of choice is ‘Name2’

if the value of choice is ‘NameN’

Otherwise

Name of the switch field is choice

Name1

Name2

NameN

$null

no label

if choice does not exist or has a value of ‘$null’

$default

if the value of choice is an empty string “ “

BRANCH


Branching on ExpressionsWhen you branch on expressions, you set the Evaluate labels property of the BRANCH step to true. In the Label property for each child step, you write an expression that includes one or more variables. At run time, the BRANCH step executes the first child step with an expression that evaluates to true.

If you want to specify a child step to execute when none of the expressions are true, set the label of the child step to $default.

BRANCH step using expressions

The BRANCH step in the following illustration evaluates expressions to determine which child steps execute. The run-time value of BuyerAccount, PromotionalCode, or shippingMethod determines the shipping charges added to an order.

Simple BRANCH step using expressions

if the expression of first child is true

if the expression of nth child is true

Otherwise

Evaluate labels is set to true

Child1

Child2

ChildN

$default

if the expression of second child is true



Propert iesThe BRANCH step has the following properties.

Condit ions That Wil l Cause a BRANCH Step to FailThe switch field is not in the pipeline and the BRANCH step does not contain a default child step or a child step to handle null values.

The matching child step fails.

The BRANCH step does not complete before the time-out period expires.


Comments Optional. Specifies a descriptive comment for the step.

Scope Optional. Specifies the name of a document (IData object) in the pipeline to which you want to restrict this step. If you want this step to have access to the entire pipeline, leave this property blank.




Label Optional. (Required if you are using this BRANCH step as a target for another BRANCH or EXIT step.) Specifies a name for this instance of the BRANCH step, or a null, unmatched, or empty string ($null, $default, blank).

Switch Specifies the String field that the BRANCH step uses to determine which child flow step to execute. The BRANCH step executes the child flow step whose label matches the value of the field specified in the Switch property. Do not specify a value if you set the Evaluate labels property to True.

Evaluate labels Specifies whether or not you want the server to evaluate labels of child steps as conditional expressions. When you branch on expressions, you enter expressions in the Label property for the children of the BRANCH step. At run time, the server executes the first child step whose label evaluates to True. To branch on expressions, select True. To branch on the Switch value, select False.

EXIT


EXITThe EXIT step exits the entire flow service or a single flow step. Specifically, it may exit from the nearest ancestor loop step, a specified ancestor step, the parent step, or the entire flow service.

The EXIT step can throw an exception if the exit is considered a failure. When an exception is thrown, user-specified error message text is displayed by typing it directly or by assigning it to a variable in the pipeline.

PropertiesThe EXIT step has the following properties.



Label Optional. (Required if you are using this EXIT step as a target for a BRANCH step.) Specifies a name for this specific step, or a null, unmatched, or empty string ($null, $default, blank).

Exit from Required. Specifies the flow step or service from which you want to exit.

Specify this value… To exit the…

$parent Parent flow step, regardless of the type of step.

$loop Nearest parent LOOP or REPEAT step.

$flow Entire flow.

label Nearest ancestor step that has a label that matches this value.

Note: If the label you specify does not match the label of an ancestor flow step, the flow will exit with an exception.



Examples of When to UseExit an entire flow service from within a series of deeply nested steps.

Throw an exception when you exit a flow service or a flow step without having to write a Java service to call Service.throwError( ).

Exit a LOOP or REPEAT flow step without throwing an exception.

INVOKEThe INVOKE flow step invokes another service. You can use it to invoke any type of service, including another flow service.

PropertiesThe INVOKE step has the following properties.

Signal Required. Specifies whether the exit is considered a success or a failure. A SUCCESS condition exits the flow service or step. A FAILURE condition exits the flow service or step and throws an exception. The text of the exception message is contained in the Failure message property.

Failure message Optional. Specifies the text of the exception message that is displayed when Signal is set to FAILURE. If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols. For example, %mymessage%.








LOOP


Condit ions That Wil l Cause an INVOKE Step to FailThe service that is invoked fails.

The specified service does not exist.

The specified service is disabled.

LOOPThe LOOP step takes as input an array variable that is in the pipeline. It loops over the members of an input array, executing its child steps each time through the loop. For example, if you have a service that takes a string as input and a string list in the pipeline, use the LOOP step to invoke the service one time for each string in the string list.

You identify a single array variable to use as input when you set the properties for the LOOP step. You can also designate a single variable for output. The LOOP step collects an output value each time it runs through the loop and creates an output array that contains the collected output values. If you want to collect more than one variable, specify a document that contains the fields you want to collect for the output variable.

Label Optional. (Required if you are using this step as a target for a BRANCH or EXIT step.) Specifies a name for this specific step, or a null, unmatched, or empty string ($null, $default, blank).

Service Required. Specifies the fully qualified name of the service to invoke.

Validate input

Optional. Specifies whether the server validates the input to the service against the service input signature. If you want the input to be validated, select True. If you do not want the input to be validated, select False.

Validate output

Optional. Specifies whether the server validates the output of the service against the service output signature. If you want the output to be validated, select True. If you do not want the output to be validated, select False.




The LOOP step

Propert iesThe LOOP step has the following properties.








Input array Required. Specifies the input array over which to loop. You must specify a variable in the pipeline that is an array data type (that is, String list, String table, document list, or Object list).

Output array

Optional. Specifies the name of the field in which the server places output data for an iteration of the loop. The server collects the output from the iterations into an array field with the same name. You do not need to specify this property if the loop does not produce output values.

child child child

No

Yes

input is an array

more inputarraymembers?

get next member of input array

MAP


Condit ions That Wil l Cause a LOOP Step to Fai lThe pipeline does not contain the input array.

The input field is not an array field.

A child step of the LOOP step fails during any iteration of the loop.

The LOOP step does not complete before the time-out period expires.

MAPThe MAP step adjusts the pipeline at any point in a flow. It makes pipeline modifications that are independent of an INVOKE step.

Within the MAP step, you can:

Link (copy) the value of a pipeline input field to a new or existing pipeline output field.

Drop an existing pipeline input field. (Keep in mind that once you drop a field from the pipeline, it is no longer available to subsequent services in the flow.)

Assign a value to a pipeline output field.

Perform document-to-document mapping in a single view by inserting transformers.

PropertiesThe MAP step has the following properties.


Comments Optional. Specifies a descriptive comment for this step.

Scope Optional. Specifies the name of a document (IData) in the pipeline to which you want to restrict this step. If you want this step to have access to the entire pipeline, leave this property blank.






Example of When to UseYou want to assign an initial set of input values in a flow service (that is, to initialize variables). You insert the MAP step at the beginning of the flow, and then use the Set Value modifier to assign values to the appropriate variables in Pipeline Out.

You want to map a document from one format to another (for example, cXML to XML). Insert transformers into the MAP step to perform the needed data transformations. For more information about transformers, see “What Are Transformers?” on page 220.

REPEATThe REPEAT step repeatedly executes its child steps up to a maximum number of times that you specify. It determines whether to re-execute the child steps based on a Repeat on condition. You can set the repeat condition to one of the following:

Repeat if any one of the child steps fails.

Repeat if all of the elements succeed.

You can also specify a time period that you want the REPEAT flow step to wait before it re-executes its child steps.

The REPEAT step



child

No

Yesreps < Count ?

wait for repeat interval

reps=0

Exit

YesRepeat conditionmet?

ExitNo

child child

reps = reps + 1

REPEAT


Propert iesThe REPEAT step has the following properties.








Count Required. Specifies the maximum number of times the server re-executes the child steps in the REPEAT step. Set Count to 0 (zero) to instruct the server that the child steps should not be re-executed. Set Count to a value greater than zero to instruct the server to re-execute the child steps up to a specified number of times. Set Count to -1 to instruct the server to re-execute the child steps as long as the specified Repeat on condition is true.

If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols. For example, %servicecount%.

Repeat interval

Optional. Specifies the number of seconds the server waits before re-executing the child steps. Specify 0 (zero) to re-execute the child steps without a delay.

If you want to use the value of a pipeline variable for this property, type the variable name between % symbols. For example, %waittime%.

Repeat on Required. Specifies when the server re-executes the REPEAT child steps. Select SUCCESS to re-execute the child steps when the all the child steps complete successfully. Select FAILURE to re-execute the child steps when any one of the child steps fails.



When Does REPEAT Fail?The following conditions cause the REPEAT step to fail:

If the REPEAT step is a child of another step, the failure is propagated to its parent.

Examples of When to Use“Repeat on” property is set to FAILURE. Use when a service accesses a remote server and you want the service to retry if the server is busy. Make the service that accesses the remote server a child element of a REPEAT flow step, and then set the Repeat on property to FAILURE. If the service attempts to access the Web site and it fails, the REPEAT flow step attempts to retry the service again. You also set a Repeat interval that causes the REPEAT flow condition to wait a period of time before invoking the service again.

“Repeat on” property is set to SUCCESS. Use in a Web-automation service when you want to repeat a load and query step and a “Next Page” button exists in the current document, indicating that there are additional pages to be processed. End the REPEAT flow step when the query step fails to retrieve a “Next Page” button in the current document.

SEQUENCEThe SEQUENCE step forms a collection of child steps that execute sequentially. This is useful when you want to group a set of steps as a target for a BRANCH step.

You can set an exit condition that indicates whether the sequence should exit prematurely and, if so, under what condition. Specify one of the following exit conditions:

Exit the sequence when a child step fails. Use this condition when you want to ensure that all child steps are completed successfully. If any child step fails, the sequence ends prematurely and the sequence fails.

Exit the sequence when a child step succeeds. Use this condition when you want to define a set of alternative services, so that if one fails, another is attempted. If a child step succeeds, the sequence ends prematurely and the sequence succeeds.

Exit the sequence after executing all child steps. Use this condition when you want to execute all of the child steps regardless of their outcome. The sequence does not end prematurely.

If “Repeat on” is set to… The REPEAT step fails if…

SUCCESS A child within the REPEAT block fails.

FAILURE The Count limit is reached before its children execute successfully.

SEQUENCE


The SEQUENCE step

Propert iesThe SEQUENCE step has the following properties.








Exit on Required. Specifies when to exit the SEQUENCE step.

Specify this value... To...

FAILURE Exit the sequence when a child step fails. (Execution continues with the next flow step in the flow service.)

The SEQUENCE step executes its child steps until either one fails or until it executes all its child steps. This is the default.

Note: When a SEQUENCE step exits on failure, the Integration Server rolls back the pipeline contents. That is, the Integration Server returns the pipeline to the state it was in before the SEQUENCE step executed.

child child child

First...If exit condition is not met...

If exit condition is not met...



Condit ions That Wil l Cause the SEQUENCE Step to FailThis section describes the conditions that cause failure based on the exit condition for the sequence.

If Exit on is set to FAILURE, conditions that will cause a failure include:

One of the child steps fails.

The SEQUENCE step does not complete before the time-out period expires.

If Exit on is set to SUCCESS, conditions that will cause a failure include:

All the child steps fail.


If Exit on is set to DONE, conditions that will cause a failure include:


SUCCESS Exit the sequence when a child step executes successfully or after all child steps fail. (Execution continues with the next flow step in the flow service.)

DONE Exit the sequence after all child steps execute.

The SEQUENCE step executes all of its child steps regardless of whether they succeed or fail.



A P P E N D I X BRegular Expressions

What Is a Regular Expression? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412

Using a Regular Expression in a Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412

Regular Expression Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413

A P P E N D I X B R e g u l a r E x p r e s s i o n s


What Is a Regular Expression?A regular expression is a pattern-matching technique used extensively in UNIX environments. webMethods Developer lets you use regular expressions to specify pattern-matching strings for some of its functions. For example, you can use a regular expression to specify an index, a property, or a mask in a webMethods Query Language (WQL) statement. You can also use a regular expression to specify the switch value for a BRANCH step.

To specify a regular expression, you must enclose the expression between / symbols. When the server encounters this symbol, it knows to interpret the characters between these symbols as a pattern-matching string (that is, a regular expression).

A simple pattern-matching string such as /string/ matches any element that contains string. So, for example, the regular expression /webMethods/ would match all of the following strings:“webMethods”“You use webMethods Integration Server to execute services”“Exchanging data with XML is easy using webMethods”“webMethods Integration Server”

Using a Regular Expression in a MaskWhen you use a regular expression as a mask, you use parenthesis to specify which characters you want to collect. For example, the object reference:

doc.p[].text[/(.{30}).*/]

retains the first 30 characters in each matching element and discards the rest.

Important! Characters in regular expressions are case sensitive.

Regular Expression Operators


Regular Expression OperatorsFollowing are the operators supported in the webMethods implementation of regular expressions.

Use this symbol… To…

. Match any single character except a new line.

Example doc.p[/web.ethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘web’ followed by any single character and the string ‘ethods’. It would match both ‘webMethods’ and ‘webmethods’.

^ Match the beginning of the string or line.

Example doc.p[/^webMethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ at the beginning of the element or at the beginning of any line within that element.

$ Match the end of the string or line.

Example doc.p[/webMethods$/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ at the end of the paragraph element or at the end of any line within that element.

* Match the preceding item zero or more times.

Example doc.p[/part *555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘part’ followed by zero or more spaces and then the characters ‘555-A’.

+ Match the preceding item 1 or more times.

Example doc.p[/part +555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘part’ followed by one or more spaces and then the characters ‘555-A’.

? Match the preceding item 0 or 1 times.

Example doc.p[/part ?555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘part’ followed by zero or one space and then the characters ‘555-A’.



( ) When used in an index, these characters group an item within the regular expression.

Example doc.p[/part(,0)+May/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘part’ followed by one or more occurrences of the characters ‘,0’ and then the characters ‘May”.

When used in a mask, they specify characters that you want to retain.

Example doc.p[].text[(^.{25}).*]

This example would keep the first 25 characters within each paragraph and discard the rest.

{n } Match the preceding item exactly n times.

Example doc.p[/^.{24}webmethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph in which the word ‘webmethods’ started in the 25th character position of the paragraph.

{n ,} Match the preceding item n or more times.

Example doc.p[/^.{10,}webmethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph in which the word ‘webmethods’ appeared anywhere after the 10th character position of the paragraph. That is, this example would return a paragraph in which the word ‘webmethods’ started in the 11th or later character position of the paragraph.

{0,m } Match the preceding item none or at most m times.

Example doc.p[/^.{0,4}webmethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph in which the word ‘webmethods’ started in any of the first 5 character positions of the paragraph.

{n ,m } Match the preceding item at least n times, but not more than m times.

Example doc.p[/^.{1,4}webmethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph in which the word ‘webmethods’ started in character position 2 through 5 of the paragraph.




| Match the expression that precedes or follows this character.

Example doc.p[/webmethods|webMethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph that contained either ‘webmethods’ or ‘webMethods’.

\b Match a word boundary.

Example doc.p[/\bport\b/].text

This example would return any paragraph that contained the word ‘port’, but not paragraphs that contained these characters as part of a larger word, such as ‘import’, ‘support’, ‘ports’ or ‘ported’.

\B Match a boundary that is not a word boundary.

Example doc.p[/\B555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph that contained the characters ‘555-A’ as part of a larger word such as AZ555-A, or Dept555-A, but not ‘555-A’ alone.

\A Match only at the beginning of a string (equivalent to ^).

Example doc.p[/\AwebMethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ at the beginning of the element or at the beginning of any line within that element.

\Z Match only at the end of a string (or before a new line at the end).

Example doc.p[/webMethods\Z/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ at the end of the paragraph element or at the end of any line within that element.

\n Match a new line.

Example doc.p[/webMethods\n/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ followed by the new line character.

\r Match a carriage return.

Example doc.p[/webMethods\r/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ followed by a carriage return.




\t Match a tab character.

Example doc.p[/\twebMethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ preceded by a tab character.

\f Match a form feed character.

Example doc.p[/webMethods\f/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ followed by a form feed character.

\d Match any digit. Same as [0-9].

Example doc.p[/part \d555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing a part number that starts with any digit 0 through 9, and is followed by the characters 555-A. Therefore, it would match ‘part 1555-A’ but not ‘part A555-A’ or ‘part #555-A’.

\D Match any non-digit. Same as [^0-9].

Example doc.p[/part \D555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing a part number that starts with any character other than 0 through 9, and is followed by the characters 555-A. Therefore, it would match ‘part A555-A’ and ‘part #555-A’, but not ‘part 1555-A’.

\w Match any word character. Same as [0-9a-z_A-Z].

Example doc.p[/part \w4555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing a part number that starts with a letter or digit and is followed by the characters 555-A. Therefore, it would match ‘part A555-A’ and ‘part 1555-A’, but not ‘part #555-A’.

\W Match any nonword character. Same as [^0-9a-z_A-Z].

Example doc.p[/part \W4555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing a part number that starts with a character other than a letter or digit, and is followed by the characters 555-A. Therefore, it would match ‘part #555-A’ and ‘part -555-A’, but not ‘part 1555-A’ or ‘part A555-A’.




\s Match any white-space character. Same as [\t\n\r\f].

Example doc.p[/\swebMethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’ if it is preceded by a tab character, a new line character, a carriage return, or a form-feed character.

\S Match any nonwhite-space character. Same as [^\t\n\r\f].

Example doc.p[/\SwebMethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the string ‘webMethods’, if that string is not preceded by a tab character, a new line character, a carriage return, or a form-feed character.

\0 Match a null string.

Example doc.p[/[^\0]/].text

This example would return any paragraph that is not empty (null).

\xnn Match any character with the hexadecimal value nn.

Example doc.p[/\x1FwebMethods/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing the ASCII unit-separator character (1F) followed by the characters ‘webMethods’.

[ ] Match any character within the brackets.

Example doc.p[/part [023]555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing a part number that starts with the numbers 0, 2, or 3 and is followed by the characters 555-A. Therefore, it would match ‘part 0555-A’ and ‘part 2555-A’, but not ‘part 4555-A’.

The following characters have special meaning when used within brackets:

Use this char… To…

^ Exclude characters from the pattern.

Example doc.p[/part [^023]555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing a part number that does not start with the numbers 0, 2, or 3, but is followed by the characters 555-A. Therefore, it would match ‘part 4555-A’ and ‘part A555-A’, but not ‘part 0555-A’.




- Specify a range of allowed characters.

Example doc.p[/part [A-M]555-A/].text

This example would return any paragraph containing a part number that starts with any letter A through M and is followed by the characters 555-A. Therefore, it would match ‘part A555-A’ and ‘part J555-A’, but not ‘part N555-A’.



A P P E N D I X CSupported Data Types

Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

Default Pipeline Rules for Linking to and from Array Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424

A P P E N D I X C S u p p o r t e d D a t a Ty p e s


Data TypesData is passed in and out of a service through an IData object. An IData object is the collection of name/value pairs on which a service operates. An IData object can contain any number of elements of any valid Java objects, including additional IData objects and IDataCodable objects.

Each element stored in an IData object corresponds to a data type. The following table identifies the data types supported by Developer.

Data Type Icon Description Java Type

String String of characters. java.lang.String

String list A one-dimensional String array.

java.lang.String[ ]

String table A two-dimensional String array.

java.lang.String[ ][ ]

Document A data structure that is a container for other variables. Documents can contain variables of any other data type. The contents of a document (IData object) are stored as key/value pairs where the variable name is the key.

com.wm.data.IData

com.wm.util.Values

For more information, see the webMethods Integration Server Java API Reference.

Document list A one-dimensional array of IS document types (IData [ ]or Values [ ]).

com.wm.data.IData [ ]

com.wm.util.Values [ ]

com.wm.util.Table

Document reference

A document whose structure is defined by an IS document type.

Reference to an existing object which implements the com.wm.data.IData interface or a reference to an existing com.wm.util.Values object.

Document reference list

A document list whose structure is defined by an IS document type.

Reference to an existing object which implements the com.wm.data.IData interface or a reference to an existing com.wm.util.Values object.

Data Types


Java Classes for ObjectsYou can further describe the contents of an Object or Object list variable by applying a Java class to the variable. When you apply a supported Java class to an Object or Object list variable, Developer changes the icon for the variable. Applying Java classes to Objects and Object lists can provide the following benefits:

Other developers can easily see the types your service expects as inputs and produces as output.

Other developers can easily see the types contained in an IS document type.

You can input values for the variable when testing and debugging.

You can assign values to variables in the pipeline using the Set Value modifier.

Object A data type that does not fall into any of the data types described in the above rows, and is not declared to be one of the basic Java classes supported natively by Integration Server. This icon is used for Objects of unknown type.

Any subclass of java.lang.Object.

Example java.util.InputStream

Object list An array of Objects of unknown type.

An array of any subclass of java.lang.Object.

Example java.util.InputStream[ ]

Data Type Icon Description Java Type

Note: You can view the actual data types represented by Object or Object list icons in built-in services by looking up the service in the webMethods Integration Server Built-In Services Reference.

Note: Developer displays small symbols next to a variable icon to indicate validation constraints. Developer uses to indicate an optional variable. Developer uses the ‡ symbol to denote a variable with a content constraint. For information about applying constraints to variables, see “Applying Constraints to Variables” on page 261.



The following table identifies the Java classes you can apply to Objects and Object list variables in Developer.

Note: When you input values for a constrained Object during testing or when assigning a value in the pipeline, Developer validates the data to make sure it is of the correct type.

Data Type Icon Description Java Class

boolean True or false. java.lang.Boolean

boolean list A one-dimensional boolean array.

java.lang.Boolean[ ]

byte Signed integer. The value must be greater than or equal to –128 but less than or equal to 127.

java.lang.Byte

byte [ ] A one-dimensional byte array. primitive type

byte list A one-dimensional byte array. java.lang.Byte[ ]

character A single unicode character. java.lang.Character

character list A one-dimensional character array.

java.lang.Character[ ]

date Date and time. java.util.Date

date list A one-dimensional date array. java.util.Date[ ]

double Double-precision floating point number.

java.lang.Double

double list A one-dimensional double array.

java.lang.Double[ ]

float Standard-precision floating point number.

java.lang.Float

float list A one-dimensional float array. java.lang.Float[ ]

integer Signed integer. The value must be greater than or equal to -2147483647 but less than or equal to 2147483647.

java.lang.Integer

Data Types


How webMethods Developer Supports Tables With the exception of String table, Developer does not provide a separate data type for tables. However, tables can appear as document lists or Objects. Tables that are instances of com.wm.util.Table appear as document lists in webMethods Developer. These tables can be used as document lists in flow services. Services in the WmDB package use tables that are instances of wm.com.util.Table.

Tables can also be declared as Objects. Objects or user-defined table-like objects that do not implement the com.wm.util.pluggable.WMIDataList interface appear as Objects of unknown type in webMethods Developer.

integer list A one-dimensional integer array.

java.lang.Integer[ ]

long Signed integer. The value must be greater than or equal to –9223372036854775808 but less than or equal to 9223372036854775807.

java.lang.Long

long list A one-dimensional long array. java.lang.Long[ ]

short Signed integer. The value must be greater than or equal to -32768 but less than or equal to 32767.

java.lang.Short

short list A one-dimensional short array.

java.lang.Short[ ]

Data Type Icon Description Java Class

Note: Object and Object list variables constrained with a Java classes should be linked only to other Object and Object list variables of the same Java class or of unknown type. Although Developer permits a link between constrained Objects of different Java classes, the run-time behavior is undefined. For more information about specifying Java classes for Objects, see “Considerations for Object Constraints” on page 263.



Defaul t Pipel ine Rules for Linking to and from Array VariablesWhen you create links between scalar and array variables, you can specify which element of the array variable you want to link to or from. Scalar variables are those that hold a single value, such as String, IS document type, and Object. Array variables are those that hold multiple values, such as String list, String table, document list, and Object list. For example, you can link a String to the second element of a String list.

If you do not specify which element in the array variable that you want to link to or from, Developer uses the default rules on the Pipeline tab to determine the value of the target variable. The following table identifies the default pipeline rules for linking to and from array variables.

If you link… To… Then…

A scalar variable

An array variable that is empty (the variable does not have a defined length)

The link defines the length of the array variable; that is, it contains one element and has length of one. The first (and only) element in the array is assigned the value of the scalar variable.


A scalar variable

An array variable with a defined length

The length of the array is preserved and each element of the array is assigned the value of the scalar variable.


An array variable

A scalar variable The scalar variable is assigned the first element in the array.

value [empty] value

value XYZ

valuevaluevalue

Default Pipeline Rules for Linking to and from Array Variables



An array variable

An array variable that does not have a defined length

The link defines the length of the target array variable; that is, it will be the same length as the source array variable. The elements in the target array variable are assigned the values of the corresponding elements in the source array variable.


An array variable

An array variable that has a defined length

The length of the source array variable must equal the length of the target array variable. If the lengths do not match, the link will not occur. If the lengths are equal, the elements in the target array variable are assigned the values of the corresponding elements in the source array variable.

XYZ

[empty] X

XYZ

[empty] XYZ



No link occurs.

XYZ

ABC

XYZ

WX

ABC

V

YZ

Note: A source variable that is the child of a document list is treated like an array because there is one value of the source variable for each document in the document list. For example:

If you link... To...

Where the value of DocumentList1 is... Then the value of StringList1 is…

DocumentList1

String1

StringList1

DocumentList1

String1

StringList1

a

DocumentList1 [0]

DocumentList1 [1]

String1 bDocumentList1 [2]

String1 c

abc


A P P E N D I X DCondit ional Expressions

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428

Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429

Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432

Precedence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

Addressing Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

Rules for Use of Expression Syntax with the Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442

A P P E N D I X D C o n d i t i o n a l E x p r e s s i o n s


OverviewwebMethods Integration Server provides syntax and operators that you can use to create expressions for use with the BRANCH step, pipeline mapping, and in trigger conditions.

In a BRANCH step, you can use an expression to determine the child step that webMethods Integration Server executes. At run time, the Integration Server executes the first child step whose conditional expression evaluates to “true”. For more information about the BRANCH step, see “The BRANCH Step” on page 166

In pipeline mapping, you can place a condition on the link between variables. At run time, webMethods Integration Server only executes the link if the assigned condition evaluates to “true.” For more information about applying conditions to links between variables, see “Applying Conditions to Links Between Variables” on page 213.

In triggers, you can further refine a subscription by creating filters for the publishable document types. A filter specifies criteria for the contents of a document. At run time, the Broker or Integration Server applies the filter to the document. The Broker or Integration Server will route or process the document only if the document meets the filter criteria. For more information, see the Publish-Subscribe Developer’s Guide.

When you write expressions and filters, keep the following points in mind:

Operators, variable names, and strings are case sensitive.

White space between the tokens of an expression is ignored.

Some syntax that is valid on the Integration Server is not valid on the Broker. If the syntax is valid for a Broker, the Integration Server saves the filter with the subscription on the Broker. If the syntax is not valid, the Integration Server saves the subscription without the filter on the Broker. Subscriptions and filters are always saved on the Integration Server.

For a list and an example of syntax that prevents a filter from being saved on the Broker, see “Rules for Use of Expression Syntax with the Broker” on page 442.

Important! If multiple conditions in the trigger specify the same publishable document type, the filter applied to the publishable document type must be the same in each condition.

Syntax


SyntaxWhen you create an expression, you need to determine which values to include in the expression. Values can be represented as variable names, regular expressions, numbers, and strings. The following table identifies the types of values you can use in an expression and the syntax for each value type.

Value Type Syntax Description

Regular Expression

/regularExpression/ Pattern-matching string. Use the following syntax for pattern matching of variable values:

variableName = /regularExpression/

For more information about regular expressions, see Appendix B, “Regular Expressions”.

Example Explanation

sku = /^WM[0-9]+/ Evaluates to true if the sku variable has a value that starts with “WM” and is followed by one or more digits (WM001, WM95157)

Variable variableName

–OR–

%variableName%

Variable name. For information about how to use this syntax to address children of other variables or elements of array variables, see “Addressing Variables” on page 439.

Example Explanation

price Value of the price variable

%address/postalCode% Value of the postalCode variable in the address document

%poItems[0]% Value of the first element in the poItems array



String "string"

–OR–

'string'

Literal string. Use this value type to compare the value of a variable to a string.

Example Explanation

“Favorite Customer” Value is the literal string “Favorite Customer”

‘Favorite Customer’ Value is the literal string “Favorite Customer”

Note: Strings not enclosed in quotes (' or ") are interpreted as variable names.

Number number Number. The following examples indicate the accepted number formats:

Examples Explanation

-10, 5, 100 Integers

5.0, 6.02 Floating point number (java.lang.Double)

6.345e+4 Scientific notation

Null $null Variable is null or missing. Typically compared with a variable name to determine if the variable is null or missing from the input data.

Example Explanation

%quantity% = $null Evaluates to true if the quantity variable is missing from the input data or is null

Value Type Syntax Description

Syntax


Comparing Java Objects to ConstantsIf you want to create a conditional expression that compares a constrained Java Object to a constant value, you must use the following syntax to represent the constant value:

If the object is constrained as type... Use this syntax...

Boolean "true" or "false"

Example: %myBoolean%=="true"

The string constant in the expression is case insensitive. For example, the expressions %myBoolean%=="true" and %myBoolean%=="tRUe" are equivalent.

Byte "xx"

Example: "10" (for 0X0A)

Character "a"

Example: "C"

Double xxxxxx.x or xxxxxx or -xxxxxx

Example: 123456.0, 123456, -123456

Float xxxx.x or -xxxx.x

Example: 1234.1, -1234.1

Integer xxxxx or -xxxxx

Example: 12345, -12345

Long xxxxxx or -xxxxxx

Example: 123456 or -123456

Short xxx or -xxx

Example: 123 or -123

Date "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss timezone"

Example: "2002-06-25 00:00:00 EDT"



Checking for Variable ExistenceSometimes you might want to create an expression that checks only for the existence of a variable or checks to see whether a variable is null. The following table describes the syntax used to check for variable existence.

OperatorsExpressions can include relational and logical operators. Relational operators are used to compare values to each other. Logical operators are used to combine multiple expressions into a single condition.

Relational OperatorsYou can use relational operators to compare the value of two fields or you can compare the value of a field with a constant. The Integration Server provides two types of relational operators: standard and lexical.

Standard relational operators can be used in expressions and filters to compare the contents of fields (variables) with other variables or constants.

Lexical relational operators can be used to compare the contents of fields (variables) with string values in trigger filters.

Relational operators are sometimes called comparison operators.

To see if… Use this syntax… Description

Variable exists

variableName Evaluates to true if the specified variable exists and has a non-null value.

This example... Evaluates to true if...

customerID The customerID variable exists and is not null.

Variable does not exist

!variableName Evaluates to true if the specified variable does not exist or is null.


!quantity The quantity variable does not exist or is null.

!color & !size The color variable does not exist or is null and the size variable does not exist or is null.

Operators


Standard Relational OperatorsYou can use the standard relational operators to compare the contents of a variable with any type of value (numerical, string, Boolean, dates, etc.) or another variable.

When comparing strings using the standard operators, the Integration Server uses a binary code point comparison algorithm. In this algorithm, the Integration Server compares each byte in the first string with each byte in the second string to determine which string is numerically greater. For example, “A” has a value of 65 and “a” has a value of 97, so “a” is greater than “A”.

Keep the following points in mind when using standard relational operators to compare strings:

The Integration Server considers A to be the lowest letter and Z to be the highest (for example, A < B, A < Z, B > A, Z > A).

The Integration Server considers lowercase letters to be greater than the matching uppercase letter (for example, a > A, A < a, a < B, c > A).

The following table identifies the standard relational operators you can use in expressions and filters.

Note: You can also use standard relational operators to compare string values. However, filters that use standard relational operators to compare string values will not be saved with the trigger subscription on the Broker. If the subscription filter resides only on the Integration Server, the Broker automatically places the document in the subscriber’s queue. The Broker does not evaluate the filter for the document. The Broker routes all of documents to the subscriber, creating greater network traffic between the Broker and the Integration Server and requiring more processing by the Integration Server.

Operator Syntax Description

= a = b Equal to.


customerID = "webMethods"

The value of the customerId variable is “webMethods.”

== a == b Equal to.

This example... Evaluates to true if..

sku == "WM001" The value of the sku variable is “WM001.”



!= a != b Not equal to.


quantity != 0 The value of the quantity variable does not equal 0 (zero).

<> a <> b Not equal to.


state <> 'ME' The value of the state variable does not equal ME (Maine).

> a > b Greater than.


price > 100 The value of the price variable is greater than 100.

%companyID% > "Acme" The value of the companyID variable is greater than Acme.

>= a >= b Greater than or equal to.


%totalPrice% >= 100 The value of the totalPrice variable is greater than or equal to 100.

companyID >= "Acme" The value of the companyID variable is greater than or equal to Acme.

< a < b Less than.


quantity < 5 The value of the quantity variable is less than 5.

companyID < "Acme" The value of the companyID variable is less than Acme.


Operators


Lexical Relational OperatorsYou can use the lexical relational operators to create filters that compare string values. Keep the following points in mind when using the lexical operators:

When evaluating filters that contain lexical operators, the Integration Server uses the locale collating sequence specified on the Broker to compare the values of the strings. The behavior of lexical operators depends on whether a locale is set for the Broker. If no locale is specified, the lexical relational operators behave like the standard relational operators.

If you use a lexical operator to compare strings in an expression (such as in a BRANCH step or in a pipeline link), the Integration Server treats the lexical operators as if they were standard relational operators.

If you use a lexical operator to compare a value that is not a string with another string value, the Integration Server treats the non-string value as an empty string (that is, ""). For example, in the expression (%myInt% L_EQUALS ""), the %myInt% variable is declared to be of type integer. This expression always evaluates to true because %myInt% contains an integer value that the Integration Server treats as an empty string ("") when it evaluates the expression.

Filters that use lexical relational operators to compare string values will be saved with the trigger subscription on the Broker. Filters that use standard relational operators to compare string values will not be saved on the Broker.

When you view filters on the Broker Administrator, a lexical operator appears as its equivalent standard operator. For example, the expression %myString% L_EQUALS "abc" appears as myString=="abc".

<= a <= b Less than or equal to.


unitPrice <= 100 The value of the unitPrice variable is less than or equal to 100.

companyID <= "Acme" The value of the companyID variable is less than or equal to Acme.


Note: To set the filter collation locale, use the Broker Administrator to select the Broker Server for which you want to change the locale. On the Broker Server Information screen, select Change Broker Server Filter Collation Locale. Then, on the Change Filter Collation Locale screen, in the New Locale list, select the locale you want to use. Restart the Broker Server for the change to take effect.



The following table describes the lexical operators that you can use in filters.

Operator Description

L_EQUALS Lexical equal to.


%myString% L_EQUALS "abc"

The value of the myString variable is abc.

L_NOT_EQUALS Lexical not equal to.


%myString% L_NOT_EQUALS "abc"

The value of the myString variable is not abc.

L_LESS_THAN Lexical less than.


%myString% L_LESS_THAN "abc"

The value of the myString variable is less than abc.

L_LESS_OR_EQUAL Lexical less than or equal to.


%myString% L_LESS_OR_EQUAL "abc"

The value of the myString variable is less than or equal to abc.

L_GREATER_THAN Lexical greater than.


%myString% L_GREATER_THAN "abc"

The value of the myString variable is greater than abc.

L_GREATER_OR_EQUAL Lexical greater than or equal to.


%myString% L_GREATER_OR_EQUAL "abc"

The value of the myString variable is greater than or equal to abc.

Operators


Logical OperatorsYou can use the following logical operators in expressions to create conditions consisting of more than one expression:


! ! expr Negates the next expression.


! (%sku% = "WM001") The value of the sku variable is not equal to WM001.

not not expr Negates the next expression.


not (color = "blue") The color variable is not equal to blue.

| expr | expr Logical *OR. True if either of the expressions is true.


%color% = "blue" | %color% = "red"

The value of the color variable is blue or red.

|| expr || expr

Logical OR. True if either of the expressions is true.


totalPrice > 1000 || customerID = 'Favorite Customer'

The value of the totalPrice variable is greater than 1000 or the value of the customerID variable equals Favorite Customer.

or expr or expr

Logical OR. True if either of the expressions is true.


creditCardNum = $null or cardExpireDate = $null or cardExpireDate <= orderDate

The value of the creditCardNum variable is null or missing or if the value of the cardExpireDate variable is null or missing or if the value of the cardExpireDate variable is less than or equal to the value of the orderDate variable.



PrecedencewebMethods Integration Server evaluates expressions in a condition according to the precedence level of the operators in the expressions.

The following table identifies the precedence level of each operator you can use in an expression.

& expr & expr Logical AND. Both expressions must evaluate to true for the entire condition to be true.


%customerID% = 'Favorite Customer' & %sku% = 'WM001'

The value of the customerID variable is Favorite Customer and the value of the sku variable is WM001.

&& expr && expr

Logical AND. Both expressions must evaluate to true for the entire condition to be true.


quantity >= 20 && totalPrice >= 100

The value of the quantity variable is greater than or equal to 20 and the value of the totalPrice variable is greater than or equal to 100.

and expr and expr

Logical AND. Both expressions must evaluate to true for the entire condition to be true.


!color and !size The color variable does not exist in the input or is null and the size variable does not exist in the input or is null.


Precedence Level Operators

1 ( )

2 not, !

3 =, ==, !=, <>, >, >=, <, <=

Addressing Variables


Addressing VariablesIn an expression, you can refer to the values of variables that are children of other variables and refer to the values of elements in an array variable. To address children of variables or an element in an array, you need to use a directory-like notation to describe the position of the value.

4 and, &, &&

5 or, |, ||

Note: To override the order in which expressions in a condition are evaluated, enclose the operations you want evaluated first in parentheses. webMethods Integration Server evaluates expressions contained in parentheses first.

Use this notation… To…

variableName Address a variable.

Example: state

Variable state.

variableName/childVariableName Address the child variable of a variable (such as a field in a document).

Example: %buyerInfo/state%

Variable state within IS document type buyerInfo.

arrayVariableName[index] Address an element in an array.

Example: orderItems[0]

Value of the first element in the orderItems array.

arrayVariableName[rowIndex][columnIndex] Address an element in a two-dimensional array (String table).

Example: dictionary[1][2]

Value of the element located in the third column of the second row in the dictionary array.



Notes:

To view the path to a variable in the pipeline, rest the mouse pointer over the variable name. Developer displays the variable path in a tool tip.

To copy the path to a variable in a pipeline, select the variable, right-click, and select Copy.

You can enclose variable names in %, for example %buyerInfo/state%. If the variable name includes special characters, you must enclose the path to the variable in % (percent) symbols and enclose the variable name in " " (quotation marks). For more information about using variables as values in expressions, see “Syntax” on page 429.

Addressing Variables that Contain Special CharactersIf a variable name contains any of the special characters listed in below, you need to use the following notation to address the variable:

Enclose the path to the variable and the variable name in % (percent symbols).

Enclose the variable name that contains special characters in " (quotation marks).

Following are some examples of how to address variables that contain special characters.

duplicateVariableName(index) Address an occurrence of a variable where there are multiple variables with the same name in the document or pipeline. The index is zero-based.

Example: address(1)

Value of the second variable named address.

%"variableWithSpecialCharacters"% Address a variable whose name contains special characters. Variables that contain special characters must be enclosed in quotation marks.

Example: %"address(work)"%

Value of the variable named address(work).

For more information, see “Addressing Variables that Contain Special Characters” below.

Use this notation… To…

Addressing Variables


Typing Special Characters in ExpressionsYou enter most of the special characters in an expression just as you would enter them when creating the variable name. However, for three of the special characters (the backslash, percent symbol, and quotation marks), you need to use a combination of keys. The following table identifies the special characters for variable names and any key sequences that you need to use to enter a variable name with that character in an expression.

Type... To...

%"Date/Time"% Address a variable named Date/Time.

%purchaseOrder/"Date/Time"% Address a variable named Date/Time in the document variable purchaseOrder.

Note: If you did not enclose Date/Time in quotation marks, and instead had %purchaseOrder/Date/Time% or %"purchaseOrder/Date/Time"%, the expression would address a variable named Time in a document named Date that was contained in a document named purchaseOrder.

%"address(work)"/"phone(cell)"% Address a variable named phone(cell) in the document variable address(work).

%"Date\\Time"% Address a variable named Date\Time.

Character Character Name Special sequence

\ backslash \\

[ opening bracket

] closing bracket

( opening parenthesis

) closing parenthesis

% percent \%

" quotation marks \"

/ slash mark (forward)



Rules for Use of Expression Syntax with the BrokerWhen you create filters for documents in trigger conditions, keep in mind that some syntax that is valid on the Integration Server is not valid on the Broker. When you save a trigger, the Integration Server and the Broker evaluate the filter to make sure that it uses proper syntax. If the syntax is valid on the Broker, the Broker saves the subscription and the filter. If the syntax is invalid on the Broker, the Integration Server automatically removes the filter before the Broker saves the subscription. The filter will only be saved on the Integration Server.

Keep the following points in mind when writing filters for triggers:

Expressions that specify field names that contain syntax, characters, symbols, or words the Broker considers restricted or reserved will not be saved on the Broker.

All expressions must contain a relational (comparison) operator.

Use lexical relational operators (such as L_EQUALS, L_LESS_THAN) to compare fields of type String.

Use standard relational operators (such as =, ==, !=, <, >, <= and >=) to compare fields that are not of type String.

Use the =, ==, <>, or != operators to compare a value with an Object constrained as a Boolean.

The following table identifies syntax that the Broker considers invalid. Expressions with this syntax will be saved on the Integration Server but not on the Broker.

Important! When you use variable names with special characters in expressions or filters, you must enclose the variable name in " " (quotation marks).

Note: The Broker saves as much of a filter as possible with the subscription. For example, suppose that a filter consists of more than one expression, and only one of the expressions contains syntax the Broker considers invalid. The Broker saves the expressions it considers valid but does not save the expression containing invalid syntax. (The Integration Server saves all the expressions.)

Tip! You can use the Broker Administrator to view the filters (expressions) saved with a subscription. If the expression does not appear with the subscription on the Broker, then the expression contains invalid syntax.

Rules for Use of Expression Syntax with the Broker


The Broker considers expressions invalid when they contain.... Examples

Field names with syntax, characters, symbols, or words the Broker considers restricted or reserved

eventtype L_EQUALS “addEmployee”tax% < 5

Note: Although the Broker considers a field name that contains the % symbol to be invalid, you can use the % symbol to enclose field names in the expression.

No comparison operators "fieldName" "!fieldName"

A standard relational operator to compare fields of type String

%myString% < "yourString"

A lexical relational operator to compare fields that are not of type String

%price% L_LESS_THAN 50

A field of type String compared with a numeric value

"stringName" > 12

Operators other than =, ==, !=, or <> to compare an Object constrained as a Boolean with a value

myBoolean <= "true"

An Object constrained as a Boolean compared with a field of type String

myBoolean = "stringFieldName"

Note: Expressions that check an Object constrained as a Boolean for a true or false value should include “true” or”false” as part of the filter. The string constant in the expression (“true” or “false”) is case insensitive.

A $null token %fieldName% = $null

A reference to an array field stringList[1] L_EQUALS "a"

Regular expressions that contain back references

fieldName = /^(a|b)\1$/

Regular expressions that use quantifiers other than +, ?, and *

/a{1}/

/a{1,5}/

Regular expressions that use extended metacharacters

fieldName = /\w/


A P P E N D I X Ejcode tags

jcode Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446

jcode Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

A P P E N D I X E j c o d e t a g s


jcode TemplateThe following code provides a template describing the tags (highlighted) that the jcode utility uses to identify code segments in a Java source file.

package Interface1;/** * This is an example of an empty Java source code file, * properly annotated for use with the jcode utility. */import com.wm.app.b2b.server.Service;import com.wm.app.b2b.server.ServiceException;import com.wm.data.IData;import com.wm.data.IDataCursor;// --- <<IS-START-IMPORTS>> ---

// --- <<IS-END-IMPORTS>> ---public class Interface0{

public static void Service1 (IData pipeline) throws ServiceException{

// --- <<IS-START(Service1)>> ---// --- <<IS-END>> ---return;

}public static void Service2 (IData pipeline)throws ServiceException{

// --- <<IS-START(Service2)>> ---// --- <<IS-END>> ---return;

}// --- <<IS-START-SHARED>> ---// --- <<IS-END-SHARED>> ---

}

jcode Example


jcode ExampleThe following is a complete example of properly commented Java source code.

Sample Code—IDataThe following is an example of a class whose services (methods) take IData objects as input.package recording;/** * This is an example of Java source code properly annotated * for use with the IS jcode utility. Note that, unless * noted otherwise, all comments will be stripped out of this * file during the process of fragmenting the code. *//** * == IMPORTS == * All your imports should be wrapped with the START-IMPORTS * and END-IMPORTS tags. */// --- <<IS-START-IMPORTS>> ---import com.wm.app.b2b.server.Service;import com.wm.app.b2b.server.ServiceException;import com.wm.data.IData;import com.wm.data.IDataCursor;import com.wm.data.IDataUtil;import java.util.*;// --- <<IS-END-IMPORTS>> ---/** * == CLASS NAMING == * This class contains the definition of all the Java services * within the recording.accounts interface (note the recording * package declaration up top). Note that each service is * defined by a method with the same name. */public class accounts{

/** * == INDIVIDUAL SERVICES == * The createAccount service. This service expects three * parameters -- a string ("name"), a string array ("references"), * and a document type. It returns two strings ("message" and "id").

* * Note the special tags delimiting the start and end of the * service. The two lines immediately before start tag and after * the end tags are mandatory. * * Also note the use of comments to establish a signature for the * service. Each signature line has the following format: * * [direction] type:dimension:option name * * direction: "i" (input) or "o" (output)



* type: * field (corresponds to instances of java.lang.String) * document type (corresponds to instances of com.wm.data.IData) * object (corresponds to instances of any other class) * option: * required (this parameter is mandatory) * optional (this parameter is optional) * name: the name of the parameter * * To indicate nesting, use a single "-" at the beginning of * each line for each level of nesting. */public static void createAccount (IData pipeline)

throws ServiceException{

// --- <<IS-START(createAccount)>> ---// [i] field:0:required name// [i] field:1:required references// [i] record:0:required data// [i] - field:1:required address// [i] - field:1:required phone// [o] field:1:required message// [o] field:1:required idIDataCursor idc = pipeline.getCursor();String name = IDataUtil.getString(idc, "name");String [] refs = IDataUtil.getStringArray(idc, "references");IData data = IDataUtil.getIData(idc, "data");

// Do something with the information here. Note that this// comment inside the service body is the only one that won't// get discarded when fragmenting the service (i.e., it will// show up in Developer.)idc.last();idc.insertAfter ("message", "createAccount not fully implemented");idc.insertAfter ("id", "00000000");idc.destroy();// --- <<IS-END>> ---return;

}/** * == COMPLEX SIGNATURES == * The getAccount service. This service takes a single string * "id", and returns a complex structure representing the * account information. Note the use of the helper functions * (defined below). */public static void getAccount (IData pipeline)

throws ServiceException{

// --- <<IS-START(getAccount)>> ---// [i] field:0:required id// [o] record:1:required account// [o] - field:0:required name// [o] - field:1:required refs// [o] - record:0:required contact// [o] -- field:0:required address

jcode Example


// [o] -- field:0:required phoneIDataCursor idc = pipeline.getCursor();if(idc.first("id")){

try {

String id = IDataUtil.getString(idc);IData data = getAccountInformation(id);idc.last();idc.insertAfter ("account", data);

}catch (Exception e){

throw new ServiceException(e.toString());}

}idc.destroy();// --- <<IS-END>> ---

}/** * == SHARED SOURCE == * This is where the shared code lives. This includes both * global data structures and non-public functions that aren't * exposed as Services. Note the tags delimiting the start * and end of the shared code section. */// --- <<IS-START-SHARED>> ---private static Vector accounts = new Vector();private static IData getAccountInformation (String id) {

throw new RuntimeException ("this service is not implemented yet");}// --- <<IS-END-SHARED>> ---

}


A P P E N D I X FVal idat ion Content Constraints

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452

Content Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452

Constraining Facets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462

A P P E N D I X F Va l i d a t i o n C o n t e n t C o n s t r a i n t s


OverviewYou can apply content constraints to variables in the IS document types, specifications, or service signatures that you want to use as blueprints in data validation. Content constraints describe the data a variable can contain. At validation time, if the variable value does not conform to the content constraints applied to the variable, the validation engine considers the value to be invalid. For more information about validation, see Chapter 10, “Performing Data Validation”.

When applying content constraints to variables, you can do the following:

Select a content type. A content type specifies the type of data for the variable value, such as string, integer, boolean, or date. A content type corresponds to a simple type definition in a schema.

Set constraining facets. Constraining facets restrict the content type, which in turn, restrict the value of the variable to which the content type is applied. Each content type has a set of constraining facets. For example, you can set a length restriction for a string content type, or a maximum value restriction for an integer content type.

For example, for a String variable named itemQuantity, you might specify a content type that requires the variable value to be an integer. You could then set constraining facets that limit the content of itemQuantity to a value between 1 and 100.

The content types and constraining facets described in this appendix correspond to the built-in data types and constraining facets in XML Schema. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines the built-in data types and constraining facets in the specification XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes (http://www.w3c.org/TR/xmlschema-2).

Content TypesThe following table identifies the content types you can apply to String, String list, or String table variables. Each of these content types corresponds to a built-in simple type defined in the specification XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes.

Note: For details about constraints for Objects and Object lists, see Appendix C, “Supported Data Types”.

http://www.w3c.org/TR/xmlschema-2

Content Types


Content Types Description

anyURI A Uniform Resource Identifier Reference. The value of anyURI may be absolute or relative.

Constraining Facetsenumeration, length, maxLength, minLength, pattern

Note: The anyURI type indicates that the variable value plays the role of a URI and is defined like a URI. webMethods Integration Server does not validate URI references because it is impractical for applications to check the validity of a URI reference.

base64Binary Base64-encoded binary data.

Constraining Facets enumeration, length, maxLength, minLength, pattern

boolean True or false.

Constraining Facets pattern

Example true, 1, false, 0

byte A whole number whose value is greater than or equal to –128 but less than or equal to 127.

Constraining Facets enumeration, fractionDigits, maxExclusive, maxInclusive, minExclusive, minInclusive, pattern, totalDigits

Example -128, -26, 0, 15, 125

date A calendar date from the Gregorian calendar. Values need to match the following pattern:

CCYY-MM-DD

Where CC represents the century, YY the year, MM the month, DD the day. The pattern can include a Z at the end to indicate Coordinated Universal Time or to indicate the difference between the time zone and coordinated universal time.

Constraining Facets enumeration, maxExclusive, maxInclusive, minExclusive, minInclusive, pattern

Example 1997-08-09 (August 9, 1997)



dateTime A specific instant of time (a date and time of day). Values need to match the following pattern:

CCYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.sss

Where CC represents the century, YY the year, MM the month, DD the day, T the date/time separator, hh the hour, mm the minutes, and ss the seconds. The pattern can include a Z at the end to indicate Coordinated Universal Time or to indicate the difference between the time zone and coordinated universal time.


Example 2000-06-29T17:30:00-05:00 represents 5:30 pm Eastern Standard time on June 29, 2000. (Eastern Standard Time is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time.)

decimal A number with an optional decimal point.


Example 8.01, 290, -47.24

double Double-precision 64-bit floating point type.


Example 6.02E23, 3.14, -26, 1.25e-2


Content Types


duration A length of time. Values need to match the following pattern:

PnYnMnDTnHnMnS

Where nY represents the number of years, nM the number of months, nD the number of days, T separates the date and time, nH the number of hours, nM the number of minutes and nS the number of seconds. Precede the duration with a minus (-) sign to indicate a negative duration.


Example P2Y10M20DT5H50M represents a duration of 2 years, 10 months, 20 days, 5 hours, and 50 minutes

ENTITIES Sequence of whitespace-separated ENTITY values declared in the DTD. Represents the ENTITIES attribute type from the XML 1.0 Recommendation.

Constraining Facets enumeration, length, maxLength, minLength

ENTITY Name associated with an unparsed entity of the DTD. Represents the ENTITY attribute type from the XML 1.0 Recommendation.

Constraining Facetsenumeration, length, maxLength, minLength, pattern, whiteSpace

float A number with a fractional part.


Example 8.01, 25, 6.02E23, -5.5




gDay A specific day that recurs every month. Values must match the following pattern:

---DD

Where DD represents the day. The pattern can include a Z at the end to indicate Coordinated Universal Time or to indicate the difference between the time zone and coordinated universal time.


Example ---24 indicates the 24th of each month

gMonth A Gregorian month that occurs every year. Values must match the following pattern:

--MM

Where MM represents the month. The pattern can include a Z at the end to indicate Coordinated Universal Time or to indicate the difference between the time zone and coordinated universal time.


Example --11 represents November

gMonthDay A specific day and month that recurs every year in the Gregorian calendar. Values must match the following pattern:

--MM-DD

Where MM represents the month and DD represents the day. The pattern can include a Z at the end to indicate Coordinated Universal Time or to indicate the difference between the time zone and coordinated universal time.


Example --09-24 represents September 24th


Content Types


gYear A specific year in the Gregorian calendar. Values must match the following pattern:

CCYY

Where CC represents the century, and YY the year. The pattern can include a Z at the end to indicate Coordinated Universal Time or to indicate the difference between the time zone and coordinated universal time.


Example 2001 indicates 2001

gYearMonth A specific month and year in the Gregorian calendar. Values must match the following pattern:

CCYY-MM

Where CC represents the century, YY the year, and MM the month. The pattern can include a Z at the end to indicate Coordinated Universal Time or to indicate the difference between the time zone and coordinated universal time.


Example 2001-04 indicates April 2001

hexBinary Hex-encoded binary data.

Constraining Facets enumeration, length, maxLength, minLength, pattern

ID A name that uniquely identifies an individual element in an instance document. The value for ID needs to be a valid XML name. The ID datatype represents the ID attribute type from the XML 1.0 Recommendation.

Constraining Facets enumeration, length, maxLength, minLength, pattern, whiteSpace




IDREF A reference to an element with a unique ID. The value of IDREF is the same as the ID value. The IDREF datatype represents the IDREF attribute type from the XML 1.0 Recommendation.


IDREFS Sequence of white space separated IDREFs used in an XML document. The IDREFS datatype represents the IDREFS attribute type from the XML 1.0 Recommendation.


int A whole number with a value greater than or equal to -2147483647 but less than or equal to 2147483647.


Example -21474836, -55500, 0, 33123, 4271974

integer A positive or negative whole number.


Example -2500, -5, 0, 15, 365

language Language identifiers used to indicate the language in which the content is written. Natural language identifiers are defined in IETF RFC 1766.


long A whole number with a value greater than or equal to –9223372036854775808 but less than or equal to 9223372036854775807.


Example -55600, -23, 0, 256, 3211569432


Content Types


Name XML names that match the Name production of XML 1.0 (Second Edition).


NCName Non-colonized XML names. Set of all strings that match the NCName production of Namespaces in XML.


negativeInteger An integer with a value less than or equal to –1.


Example -255556, -354, -3, -1

NMTOKEN Any mixture of name characters. Represents the NMTOKEN attribute type from the XML 1.0 Recommendation.


NMTOKENS Sequences of NMTOKENS. Represents the NMTOKENS attribute type from the XML 1.0 Recommendation.


nonNegativeInteger An integer with a value greater than or equal to 0.


Example 0, 15, 32123




nonPositiveInteger An integer with a value less than or equal to 0.

Constraining Facets enumeration, fractionDigits, maxExclusive, maxInclusive, minExclusive, minInclusive, pattern, totalDigits, whiteSpace

Example -256453, -357, -1, 0

normalizedString Represents white space normalized strings. Set of strings (sequence of UCS characters) that do not contain the carriage return (#xD), line feed (#xA), or tab (#x9) characters.


Example MAB-0907

positiveInteger An integer with a value greater than or equal to 1.


Example 1, 1500, 23000

short A whole number with a value greater than or equal to -32768 but less than or equal to 32767.


Example -32000, -543, 0, 456, 3265

string Character strings in XML. A sequence of UCS characters (ISO 10646 and Unicode). By default, all white space is preserved for variables with a string content constraint.


Example MAB-0907


Content Types


time An instant of time that occurs every day. Values must match the following pattern:

hh:mm:ss.sss

Where hh indicates the hour, mm the minutes, and ss the seconds. The pattern can include a Z at the end to indicate Coordinated Universal Time or to indicate the difference between the time zone and coordinated universal time.


Example 18:10:00-05:00 (6:10 pm, Eastern Standard Time) Eastern Standard Time is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time.

token Represents tokenized strings. Set of strings that do not contain the carriage return (#xD), line feed (#xA), or tab (#x9) characters, leading or trailing spaces (#x20), or sequences of two or more spaces.


unsignedByte A whole number greater than or equal to 0, but less than or equal to 255.


Example 0, 112, 200

unsignedInt A whole number greater than or equal to 0, but less than or equal to 4294967295.


Example 0, 22335, 123223333




Constraining FacetsWhen you apply a content type to a variable, you can also set constraining facets for the content type. Constraining facets are properties that further define the content type. For example, you can set a minimum value or precision value for a decimal content type. Each content type has a set of constraining facets. The constraining facets described in the following table correspond to constraining facets defined in the specification XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes.

unsignedLong A whole number greater than or equal to 0, but less than or equal to 18446744073709551615.


Example 0, 2001, 3363124

unsignedShort A whole number greater then or equal to 0, but less than or equal to 65535.


Example 0, 1000, 65000


Constraining Facet Description Usage Notes

enumeration The possible values for the variable at run time.

If you also entered possible values using the Pick list choices property in the General category of the Properties panel, those values will be displayed at run time. However, the enumeration values will be used for validation.

fractionDigits The maximum number of digits to the right of the decimal point. For example, the fractionDigits of the value 999.99 is 2.

fractionDigits must be less than or equal to totalDigits.

Constraining Facets


length The precise units of length required for the variable value.

If you specify length, you cannot specify either minLength or maxLength.

maxExclusive The upper bound of a range of possible values. The range excludes the value you specify. The variable can have a value less than but not equal to maxExclusive.

maxExclusive must be greater than or equal to minExclusive.

You cannot specify maxInclusive and maxExclusive for the same content type.

maxInclusive The upper bound of a range of possible values. The range includes the value you specify. The variable can have a value less than or equal to maxInclusive.

maxInclusive must be greater than or equal to minInclusive.

You cannot specify maxInclusive and maxExclusive for the same content type.

maxLength The maximum units of length permitted for the variable value.

maxLength must be greater than or equal to minLength.

minExclusive The lower bound of a range of possible values. The range does not include the value you specify. The variable can have a value greater than but not equal to minExclusive.

minExclusive must be less than or equal to maxExclusive.

You cannot specify minInclusive and minExclusive for the same content type.

minInclusive The lower bound of a range of possible values. The range includes the value you specify. The variable can have a value greater than or equal to minInclusive.

minInclusive must be less than or equal to maxInclusive.

You cannot specify minInclusive and minExclusive for the same content type.

minLength The minimum units of length permitted for the variable value.

minLength must be less than or equal to maxLength.

pattern A pattern (regular expression) that the value of the variable must match. For example, you can use a regular expression to specify that a variable that is a string content constraint match a Social Security number format.




totalDigits The maximum number of decimal digits allowed in a value. For example, the totalDigits of the value 999.99 is 5.

totalDigits must be greater than or equal to fractionDigits.

whiteSpace The white space normalization performed on the variable value. The value of whiteSpace can be one of the following:

preserve: No white space normalization is performed.

replace: Carriage returns (#xD), line feeds (#xA), and tabs (#x9) are replaced with a single space (#x20).

collapse: After the white space normalization specified by replace is performed, sequences of spaces (#x20) and leading and trailing spaces (#x20) are removed.


Note: Previous versions of XML Schema contained the constraining facets duration, encoding, period, precision, and scale. However, these constraining facets are not included in the recommendation of XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes. The constraining facets duration, encoding, and period were removed. precision was renamed totalDigits. scale was renamed fractionDigits. If you view a content type from an IS schema created from an XML Schema Definition that used pre-Recommendation version of XML Schema (before May 2001) the Content Type dialog box will display the constraining facets that were available in the pre-Recommendation version of XML Schema.

Note: The word “fixed” appears next to the name of a constraining facet whose value is fixed and cannot be changed. When a facet has a fixed value, the facet is called a fixed facet.


A P P E N D I X GVal idat ion Errors and Except ions

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466

Validation Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466

Validation Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480

IS Schema Generation Errors and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484

A P P E N D I X G Va l i d a t i o n E r r o r s a n d E x c e p t i o n s


OverviewThis appendix describes error messages that can occur during data validation, IS schema generation, or IS document type generation.

When the validation engine in the webMethods Integration Server validates an object (an XML node, the pipeline, or documents) and the object does not conform to the blueprint or model, the server generates errors and/or exceptions. You might also receive errors and exceptions when creating an IS schema. The following sections describe the errors and exceptions you can receive when performing validation and when creating an IS schema.

Val idat ion ErrorsWhen you perform validation using a built-in service, webMethods Integration Server returns validation errors in the errors output variable if the object is invalid. When you perform input/output validation, webMethods Integration Server throws an exception if the inputs or outputs are invalid. Error messages are contained in the exception.

Each validation error contains a code and a default message. Error code prefixes indicate the validation error type:

DT indicates a data type validation error. Data type validation errors pertain to the content type constraints applied to the variables.

NV indicates a node validation error. Node validation errors pertain to the validation of an XML node.

VV indicates a document validation error. Document validation errors pertain to the structure of the data values (for example, an invalid document structure).

The following table describes the validation errors you can receive when performing XML, pipeline, or document validation.

Error Code Message and Description

DT-001[ISC.0082.9447] Value does not conform to datatype.

Cause: The value does not match the specified content type.

DT-002[ISC.0082.9460] No matching enumeration value.

Cause: The value is not an item listed in the enumeration field.

Validation Errors


DT-003[ISC.0082.9463] Length of value is not equal to specified length.

Cause: The size of the value does not equal the number specified in the length field.

DT-004[ISC.0082.9464] Value is shorter than minimum length.

Cause: The size of the value is less than the number specified in the minLength field.

DT-005[ISC.0082.9465] Value is longer than maximum length.

Cause: The size of the value is greater than the number specified in the maxLength field.

DT-006[ISC.0082.9489] Number of digits is greater than totalDigits.

Cause: The number of digits in the value is greater than the number specified in the totalDigits field.

DT-007[ISC.0082.9490] Number of fraction digits is greater than fractionDigits.

Cause: The number of digits to the right of the decimal point is greater than the number specified in the fractionDigits field.

DT-008[ISC.0082.9491] Value is less than minInclusive.

Cause: The value is less than the value specified in the minInclusive field.

DT-009[ISC.0082.9492] Value is less than or equal to minExclusive.

Cause: The value is less than or equal to the value specified in the minExclusive field.

DT-010[ISC.0082.9493] Value is greater than maxInclusive.

Cause: The value is greater than the value specified in the maxInclusive field.




DT-011[ISC.0082.9494] Value is greater than or equal to maxExclusive.

Cause: The value is greater than or equal to the value specified in the maxExclusive field.

DT-012[ISC.0082.9448] Value does not match pattern.

Cause: The value does not match the pattern specified in the pattern field.

DT-013[ISC.0082.9474] The input has invalid characters.

Cause: The specified whiteSpace value is invalid. The value of the whiteSpace field can be preserve, replace, or collapse.

DT-Binary001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The binary value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-Binary002[ISC.0082.9297] Value is shorter than minimum length

Cause: Size of the binary value, in octets, is less than the value specified in the minimum length field.

DT-Binary003[ISC.0082.9298] Value is longer than maximum length

Cause: Size of the binary value, in octets, is greater than the value specified in the maximum length field.

DT-Binary004[ISC.0082.9296] Length of value is not equal to specified length

Cause: Size of the binary value, in octets, is not equal to the value specified in the length field.

DT-Boolean001[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The value is not a Boolean.

DT-Decimal001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The decimal value is not an element listed in the choices field.


Validation Errors


DT-Decimal002[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The value is not a parsable decimal.

DT-Decimal003[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The decimal value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-Decimal004[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The decimal value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-Decimal005[ISC.0082.9300] Value exceeds precision

Cause: The total number of digits in the decimal value is greater than the value specified in the precision field.

DT-Decimal006[ISC.0082.9301] Value exceeds scale

Cause: The total number of digits to the right of the decimal point is greater than the value specified in the scale field.

DT-Double001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The double value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-Double002[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The double value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-Double003[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The double value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-Double004[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The value is not a parsable double.




DT-Float001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The float value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-Float002[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The float value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-Float003[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The float value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-Float004[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The value is not a parsable float.

DT-Int001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The integer value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-Int002[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The integer value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-Int003[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The integer value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-Int004[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The value is not a parsable integer.

DT-INTEGER001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The integer value is not an element listed in the choices field.


Validation Errors


DT-INTEGER002[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The value is not a parsable integer.

DT-INTEGER003[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The integer value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-INTEGER004[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The integer value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-Long001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The long value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-Long002[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The long value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-Long003[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The long value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-Long004[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The value is not a parsable long.

DT-List001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The sequence of values in the list is not an element in the choices field.

DT-List002[ISC.0082.9297] Value is shorter than minimum length

Cause: Size of the list is less than the value specified in the minimum length field.




DT-List003[ISC.0082.9298] Value is longer than maximum length

Cause: Size of the list is greater than the value specified in the maximum length field.

DT-List004[ISC.0082.9299] Datatype definition is missing

Cause: Datatype or simple type definition is not found. It is possible that a dependent IS schema that contains this datatype definition was removed from the IS Namespace.

DT-RecurringDuration001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The recurring duration value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-RecurringDuration002[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The recurring duration value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-RecurringDuration003[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The recurring duration value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-RecurringDuration004[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The recurring duration value does not match the pattern specified in the pattern field.

DT-STR001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The string value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-STR002[ISC.0082.9297] Value is shorter than minimum length

Cause: The size of the string, in characters, is less than the value specified in the minimum length field.


Validation Errors


DT-STR003[ISC.0082.9298] Value is longer than maximum length

Cause: The size of the string, in characters, is greater than the value specified in the maximum length field.

DT-STR004[ISC.0082.9307] Does not match pattern(s)

Cause: The string value does not match the pattern specified in the pattern field.

DT-Time001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The time value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-Time002[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The time value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-Time003[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The time value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-Time004[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The time value does not match the pattern specified in the pattern field.

DT-TimeDuration001[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The time duration value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-TimeDuration002[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The time duration value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.




DT-TimeDuration003[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The time duration value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

DT-TimeDuration004[ISC.0082.9246] Value does not conform to datatype

Cause: The time duration value does not match the pattern specified in the pattern field.

DT-TimePeriod001[ISC.0082.9246] Values does not conform to data type

Cause: The time period value does not match data type specified in the IS schema.

DT-TimePeriod002[ISC.0082.9293] No matching choice value

Cause: The time period value is not an element listed in the choices field.

DT-TimePeriod003[ISC.0082.9294] Value is less than minimum

Cause: The time duration value is less than the value specified in the minimum exclusive or minimum inclusive field.

DT-TimePeriod004[ISC.0082.9295] Value is greater than maximum

Cause: The time duration value is greater than the value specified in the maximum exclusive or maximum inclusive field.

NV-001[ISC.0082.9001] Error while parsing

Cause: The XML document cannot be parsed. It is possible that the XML document being validated is not well formed.

NV-002[ISC.0082.9002] Unable to retrieve root element

Cause: XML document is empty.

Response: Check that the document is being submitted properly.


Validation Errors


NV-003[ISC.0082.9003] Unable to locate a matching element declaration

Cause: An undeclared element node is found in the instance document.

Response: Check to make sure that the document uses only declared elements.

NV-004[ISC.0082.9004] [attributes] property must be empty

Cause: This element carries attributes that are not expected.

Response: Check to make sure that the document only uses element attributes that are declared in the schema.

NV-005[ISC.0082.9005] Element information items are not allowed in [children] property

Cause: This element contains child elements; however, the element declaration in the IS schema indicates that the element does not contain any child elements.

Response: Check to make sure that the document properly conforms to the schema.

NV-006[ISC.0082.9006] Unable to locate a matching attribute declaration

Cause: This element carries an attribute that is not declared in the element declaration in the IS schema.

Response: Check to make sure that the document only uses element attributes that are declared in the schema.

NV-007[ISC.0082.9007] Missing Attribute Information Item

Cause: A required attribute is not found in this element node.

Response: Check to make sure that the document conforms to the schema.




NV-008[ISC.0082.9008] Invalid value - does not match fixed value

Cause: The instance document contains an invalid element body or attribute value. Specifically, the element body or attribute value does not match a fixed value found in the declaration.


NV-009[ISC.0082.9009] Child element elementName at position location is unexpected.

Cause: The element is not a valid child element or the sequence of child elements does not satisfy the order specified in the corresponding element declaration or complex type definition.


[ISC.0082.9010] Incomplete content–one or more child elements are expected.

Cause: The element is not a valid child element or the sequence of child elements does not satisfy the order specified in the definition.


NV-010[ISC.0082.9011] Unable to locate attribute declaration

Cause: An attribute declaration is not found. It is possible that a dependent IS schema that contains this attribute declaration was removed from the IS Namespace. For example, IS schema pub.schema.w3c:datatypes references an attribute declaration (xml:lang) in pub.schema.w3c:xml . If you receive this error, it is possible that pub.schema.w3c:xml was removed.

Response: Check to make sure that all of the attribute declarations referenced by the schema are present.


Validation Errors


NV-011[ISC.0082.9012] Unable to locate type definition

Cause: A simple or complex type definition is not found. It is possible that a dependent IS schema that contains this type definition was removed from the IS Namespace. For example, IS schema pub.schema.w3c:structures references a type definition in pub.schema.w3c:datatypes. If you receive this error, it is possible that pub.schema.w3c:datatypes was removed.

Response: Check to make sure that all of the type definitions referenced by the schema are present.

NV-012[ISC.0082.9014] Unable to locate element declaration

Cause: An element declaration is not found. It is possible that a dependent IS schema that contains the element declaration was removed from the IS Namespace.

Response: Check to make sure that all the element declarations referenced by the schema are present.

NV-013[ISC.0082.9016] Unable to resolve QName: localName:{uri}

Cause: The schema processor uses the namespaces declared in the instance document to resolve a QName to:

{Namespace URI} Local Name

However, the schema processor is unable to resolve the QName using the namespace declarations in the instance document.


NV-014[ISC.0082.9017] typeName is not validly derived from declaredTypeName

Cause: This error occurs when the first type is used in a context where the second type is expected, and either the first type is not the same as the second type or the first type is not validly derived from the second type.

Response: Check to make sure that the correct types are specified in the schema and that the correct corresponding types are used in the document.




NV-015[ISC.0082.9018] typeName is an abstract type and cannot be used directly to validate content

Cause: The specified type is an abstract type that has been either declared or nominated. Abstract types cannot be used to validate element content.

Response: Make sure to use only concrete types when validating element content.

NV-016[ISC.0082.9019] elementName is an abstract element and cannot appear in an instance

Cause: The element declaration identifies the element as an abstract element. Abstract elements cannot appear in instance documents.

Response: Make sure to only use concrete elements in instance documents.

NV-017[ISC.0082.9020] QName - xsi:type is used incorrectly (declared type is anonymous)

Cause: A type is nominated using xsi:type for an element whose declaration contains an anonymous type. A new type cannot be derived from an anonymous type because new types can be derived only from named types.

Response: Be sure to use only named types when declaring new types.

NV-018[ISC.0082.9021] Contains invalid text

Cause: The schema processor encountered an invalid piece of text. It is possible that the instance document contains a simple type where element declarations are interspersed with text. Simple types cannot contain element declarations.



Validation Errors


VV-001[ISC.0082.9025] Missing Object

Cause: A required document (IData object) or variable is missing from the input.

Response: Be sure that the arguments are being passed properly to the validator.

VV-002 [ISC.0082.9026] Undefined Object found

Cause: A document (IData object) contains an orphan variable. (This message only appears if the Allow unspecified fields property in the Constraints category of the Properties panel is False.)

Response: Make sure that all variables are defined, or check the box to allow unspecified fields on the constraints tab of the Variable Properties dialog box.

VV-003[ISC.0082.9027] Dimension mismatch, List expected

Cause: The value being validated is a scalar value or a multi-dimensional array (String table), however the variable it is being validated against is a list (one-dimensional array).


[ISC.0082.9028] Dimension mismatch, Single item expected

Cause: The value being validated is an array value (a list or a table). The variable it is being validated against is scalar.


[ISC.0082.9029] Dimension mismatch, Table expected

Cause: The value being validated is a scalar value or a one-dimensional array (list). The variable it is being validated against is a two-dimensional array (table).





Val idat ion Except ionsAt run time, the service performing validation either succeeds or fails. If the service fails, webMethods Integration Server throws a validation exception. A validation exception is generated if one of the following is true:

Errors are detected in the object (XML node, pipeline, or document (IData object)) that is passed (for example, null value).

The basic validation contract is violated (for example, a binary tree is passed instead of a document (IData object) as expected).

You specify that the service should fail if the object to be validated (XML node, pipeline, or document (IData object)) did not conform to the IS schema or IS document type (for example, failIfInvalid = true). If this is the reason for the exception, webMethods Integration Server inserts the validation errors into the exception message.

The following table identifies and describes the validation exceptions that can be generated.

VV-004[ISC.0082.9030] Type mismatch, String expected

Cause: The value is being validated against a String variable, but the IS data type of the value is not a String.


[ISC.0082.9031] Type mismatch, Document expected

Cause: The value is being validated against an IS document type variable, but the IS data type of the value is not an IS document type.


[ISC.0082.9032] Type mismatch, Object expected

Cause: The value is being validated against an Object variable, but the IS data type of the value is not an Object.



Validation Exceptions


Default Exception Message When is it thrown? Description

[ISS.0062.9021] object is nullReal time and design time

Cause: The object to be validated does not exist in the pipeline.

Response: Link an XML node or document variable to the object variable in Service In.

[ISS.0062.9022] %NSName% - object does not exists

Real time and design time

Cause: The IS document type or IS schema specified for the conformsTo variable does not exist in the IS Namespace.

Response: Change the value of conformsTo to be an IS document type or IS schema that exists in the IS namespace.

[ISS.0062.9024] webMethods Integration Server does not support this type of validation (may or may not support in the future)

Real time and design time

Cause: The object to be validated is not one of the types supported by validation.

Response: Currently, only XML, pipeline, and document (IData object) validation is supported.

[ISS.0062.9202] Invalid: minLength

Design time Cause: The min length is either not a parsable number or conflicts with max length.

Response: Change the min length value and make sure that it is within the allowed range for the content type.

[ISS.0062.9203] Invalid: maxLength

Design time Cause: The max length is either not a parsable number or conflicts with minimum length.

Response: Change the max length value and make sure that it is within the allowed range for the content type.

[ISS.0062.9211] Invalid Regular Expression: Expression

Design time Cause: The pattern is an invalid Perl regular expression.

Response: Modify the pattern and make sure that it is Perl regular expression.



[ISS.0062.9212] Invalid: minInclusive

Design time Cause: The specified minInclusive value is invalid. For example, the minInclusive value for a variable with content type constraint of short must also be a short.

Response: Make sure the minInclusive is a valid number for the specified content type.

[ISS.0062.9213] Invalid: minExclusive

Design time Cause: The specified minExclusive value is invalid. For example, the minExclusive value for a variable with content type constraint of short must also be a short.

Response: Make sure the minExclusive is a valid number for the specified content type.

[ISS.0062.9214] Invalid: maxInclusive

Design time Cause: The specified maxInclusive value is invalid. For example, the maxInclusive value for a variable with content type constraint of short must also be a short.

Response: Make sure the maxInclusive is a valid number for the specified content type.

[ISS.0062.9215] Invalid: maxExclusive

Design time Cause: The specified maxExclusive value is invalid. For example, the maxExclusive value for a variable with content type constraint of short must also be a short.

Response: Make sure the maxExclusive is a valid number for the specified content type.

[ISS.0062.9230] Invalid scaleDesign time Cause: The value of a constraining

facet has an invalid scale.

Response: Examine the constraining facet values to make sure the values do not conflict.


Validation Exceptions


[ISS.0062.9231] Exceeds precision: minInclusive

Design time Cause: The value of the minInclusive constraining facet exceeds the value specified for totalDigits.

Response: Change the value of minInclusive or totalDigits to make sure the values do not conflict.

[ISS.0062.9232] Exceeds precision: minExclusive

Design time Cause: The value of the minExclusive constraining facet exceeds the value specified for totalDigits.

Response: Change the value of minExclusive or totalDigits to make sure the values do not conflict.

[ISS.0062.9233] Exceeds precision: maxInclusive

Design time Cause: The value of the maxInclusive constraining facet exceeds the value specified for totalDigits.

Response: Change the value of maxInclusive or totalDigits to make sure the values do not conflict.

[ISS.0062.9234] Exceeds precision: maxExclusive

Design time Cause: The value of the maxExclusive constraining facet exceeds the value specified for totalDigits.

Response: Change the value of maxExclusive or totalDigits to make sure the values do not conflict.

[ISS.0062.9235] Invalid enumerated item

Design time Cause: A content type constraint is defined in terms of the collective set of constraining facet values. Together, these values determine the allowed values and properties of the content type. The constraining facet value you just specified may conflict with other constraining facet values. For example, if you specify length for the string content type, you cannot specify min length or max length.

Response: Examine the constraining facet values to make sure the values do not conflict with each other.




IS Schema Generat ion Errors and WarningsWhen you create an IS schema from a DTD or an XML Schema definition, you may receive errors or warnings. The following table identifies and describes the errors you might receive when creating an IS schema. Error or warning codes that begin with DTDC are errors that occur when you generate an IS schema from a DTD (or from an XML document that references an existing DTD). Error or warning codes that begin with XSDC are errors that occur when you generate an IS schema from an XML Schema definition.

[ISS.0062.9302] Maximum is less than minimum

Design time Cause: Invalid condition. The maximum value is less than the minimum value. (maximum < minimum)

Response: Change the maximum or minimum value to eliminate the conflict.

[ISS.0062.9303] Minimum is out of range (Valid range is from lowerBound to upperBound)

Design time Cause: The minimum value is out of the valid range for the content type.

Response: Change the minimum value (min exclusive, min inclusive, or min length) and make sure that it is within the allowed range for the content type.

[ISS.0062.9304] Maximum is out of range (Valid range is from lowerBound to upperBound)

Design time Cause: The specified maximum value is out of the valid range for the content type.

Response: Change the maximum value (max exclusive, max inclusive or max length) and make sure that it is within the allowed range for the content type.


Note: You might also receive these errors and warnings when you generate an IS document type or flow service from an XML Schema definition, DTD, or XML document that references a DTD. For more information about creating an IS document type, see “Creating an IS Document Type” on page 244. For more information about creating a flow service, see “Creating a New Flow Service” on page 125.

IS Schema Generation Errors and Warnings


Code Message and Description

CONV-001[ISC.0082.9101] Document type generation error: errorNumber.

Cause: The schema processor encountered an error in the XML Schema definition used to create an IS document type.

Response: Contact webMethods Technical Services.

DTDC-001[ISC.0082.9501] DTD is empty

Cause: The DTD does not contain any information.

Response: Make sure that the DTD is valid.

DTDC-002[ISC.0082.9502] NS Declaration is missing for prefix 'prefixName'

Cause: Warns that an XML Namespace prefix is used without declaring it.

Response: Declare the XML Namespace prefix before using it.

DTDC-003[ISC.0082.9503] Error while parsing'

Cause: Warns that a DTD cannot be parsed. It is possible the DTD does not satisfy XML 1.0.

DTDC-005[ISC.0082.9505] Name collision detailedWarningMessage

Cause: Warns that an element type declaration is found in another schema with the same XML Namespace.

Response: Use a different XML Namespace.

XSDC-001[ISC.0082.9703] Duplicate declaration found in this schema definition

Cause: A duplicate attribute or element declaration is found in the XML Schema definition.

Response: Make sure the XML Schema definition is valid.

XSDC-002[ISC.0082.9704] Duplicate definition found in this schema definition

Cause: A duplicate simple type or complex type definition is found in the XML Schema definition.

Response: Make sure the XML Schema definition is valid.



XSDC-003[ISC.0082.9705] Definition not found

Cause: A simple type or complex type definition is missing from the XML Schema definition.

Response: Make sure the datatype definition is present in the XML Schema definition.

XSDC-004[ISC.0082.9706] Declaration not found

Cause: An error. An element declaration or attribute declaration is missing from the XML Schema definition.

XSDC-005[ISC.0082.9707] Base type definition not found

Cause: A base type definition that is used to derive either a simple type or complex type is missing from the XML Schema definition.

Response: Make sure the base type definition is present in the XML Schema definition.

XSDC-006[ISC.0082.9708] Type derivation not OK

Cause: An error. As per the spec (s) from the W3C, the “type derivation is not OK.”

[ISC.0082.9709] Type derivation not OK: attribute declaration to be restricted is not found in the base type definition

Cause: In a complex type derivation, an attribute declaration restricts the use of an attribute. However, this attribute declaration is not found in the base type definition.

Response: Make sure that the attribute declaration is present in the base type definition.

[ISC.0082.9710] Type derivation not OK: attribute declaration to be prohibited is not found in the base type definition

Cause: In a complex type derivation, an attribute declaration prohibits the use of an attribute. However, this attribute declaration is not found in the base type definition.

Response: Make sure that the attribute declaration is present in the base type definition.


IS Schema Generation Errors and Warnings


XSDC-008[ISC.0082.9712] Incorrect facet (s) specified: typeName throws errorMessage.

Cause: Constraining facets applied to the data type are incorrect or cannot be used with the data type.

Response: Use the error messages to determine which constraining facets to remove from the type definition.

XSDC-009[ISC.0082.9713] Unable to resolve QName

Cause: Incorrect QName.

Response: Check the value of the QName.

XSDC-080[ISC.0082.9701] Duplicate declaration found in this schema folderName:schemaNamewith the same target namespace

Cause: Warns that an identical attribute declaration or element declaration is found in the specified schema with the same target namespace. The schema processor creates the schema but does not include the duplicate declaration. Instead, the schema contains a pointer to the first (original) declaration.

Response: None required.

XSDC-081[ISC.0082.9702] Duplicate definition found in this schema folderName:schemaName with the same target namespace

Cause: Warns that an identical simple type or complex type definition is found in the specified schema with the same target namespace. The schema processor creates the schema but does not include the duplicate type definition. Instead, the schema contains a pointer to the first (original) type definition.

Response: None required.

[ISC.0082.9106] Complex type TypeName is recursive. webMethods Integration Server does not support creating a document type from an XSD with a recursive complex type.

Cause: The XML Schema contains a recursive complex type definition. The Integration Server does not support generating a document type from an IS schema containing a recursive complex type. This error only occurs when you generate an IS document type from an XML Schema.

Response: Do not try to generate a document type from a schema containing a recursive complex type.



A P P E N D I X HUsing Source Control wi th the Integrat ion Server

Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490

Methods of Using Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490

Components of a webMethods Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491

Adding Components to Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498

Checking Components Out of Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500

Updating Files That Are in Source Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501

A p p e n d i x H U s i n g S o u r c e C o n t r o l w i t h t h e I n t e g r a t i o n S e r v e r


Basic ConceptsOften, the development environment includes a third-party source control application that coexists with webMethods components. You can use source control with webMethods components by identifying the components that comprise an Integration Server solution, adding them to source control, and managing the process by which users check elements in and out of source control. Following are some basic concepts to help you understand the procedures in this chapter.

What Is a Third-Party Source Control Application?A third-party source control application is a product designed to help an administrator archive versions of files in a development environment. Such products include PVCS, CVS, Visual Source Safe, and Perforce.

Is Source Control the Same as Locking?No. Locking is one component of a full source management solution. Source control is designed to allow the administrator to archive and maintain multiple file revisions. Many source control applications also allow the administrator to tag revisions, run revision history reports, and other functions. Lock functionality allows the user or administrator to control who is working on a particular element at a particular time.

Methods of Using Source ControlThere are a number of ways to use source control with the Integration Server. Two of the most prevalent ways are:

Package level. You only put the package and global components in source control. For example, the only file in source control might be XYZCo.zip. Often, this entails assigning a single package per developer. To update the package, the developer:

a Checks the package out of source control.

b Locks all package elements in Developer.

c Modifies the elements and saves changes.

d Replicates the package to generate an updated .zip, such as XYZCo.zip.

e Checks the .zip back into source control.

Components of a webMethods Solution


Component level. You put the package’s components and global components in source control. For example, the files in source control might include node.ndf, getPO.java, POfolder.class, etc. To update an element, such as a flow service, the developer:

a Checks the flow service files out of source control (node.ndf and flow.xml).

b Locks the flow service in Developer.

c Modifies the flow service and saves changes.

d Checks the node.ndf and flow.xml files back into source control. If the source control application makes the files read-only when checked in, then the corresponding flow service will appear system locked in Developer.

The sections that follow address both methods of using source control, with emphasis on the component level, as it is the most detailed.

Components of a webMethods Solut ionA webMethods solution consists of a set of services and supporting components that reside in one or more packages on the webMethods Integration Server. In addition to components that reside in a package, a solution might also encompass certain global components, such as configuration files, access control lists, and log files, whose settings establish the run-time environment necessary for the package components to operate successfully.

Package ComponentsOn an Integration Server, a package is a container for a set of services and their supporting components (for example, documents, specifications, output templates, or Dynamic Server Pages (DSPs)). It is an organizational device that you can use to group related components together and manage them as a single unit. Typically, you place all the components for a single solution in one package. For example, if you develop a set of services that interact with a human resources system, you might place all of its components in a package called HR.

Note: You are not required to put all components for a solution in the same package. For example, you might choose to organize your components by function, such as putting data-retrieval components in one package, data-transformation components in another package, and utility components in another package. You can determine what type of package arrangement makes the most sense for your particular solution.



Location of a PackageA package is represented by a single subdirectory on the Integration Server. This subdirectory has the same name as the package it represents and resides in the following location on the server:

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\packageName

All services and related components that belong to a package reside in that package’s subdirectory.

Contents of a PackageThe following table describes the contents of a package. Note that each component is labeled STATIC, DYNAMIC, or DERIVED, indicating whether it is a good candidate for source control, as follows:

Component Type Description

STATIC Components that are not modified by Developer or the Integration Server Administrator. These include components such as HTML pages, DSPs, and programming source code that you build using tools other than those provided by webMethods.

STATIC components are candidates for source control.

DYNAMIC Components that are created and/or modified by the Developer and/or the Integration Server Administrator. These include flow services, documents, output templates, access control files, and so forth.

DYNAMIC components are candidates for source control.

DERIVED Temporary components that the Integration Server generates and consumes internally. These include the class files created when a Java service is compiled with the Developer IDE or the jcode utility.

DERIVED components are not good candidates for source control.



Components in a webMethods package directory Component Type Description Affected by

manifest.v3 DYNAMIC Contains information about the package, including its status, version information, dependencies on other packages, and the names of its startup and shutdown services.

Operations you perform on the package with the Integration Server Administrator.

config\ DYNAMIC Contains configuration information for the package and its services, such as the properties.cnf file.

Configuration tasks you perform on the package or its services, using the Integration Server Administrator or Developer.

doc\ STATIC Contains any user documentation for the package, in PDF or HTML format.

--

lib\ STATIC Replaced by the resources\ directory. The lib\ directory has been deprecated, but still exists for compatibility purposes.

--

pub\ STATIC Contains HTML pages, DSPs, and related image files that are served to HTTP clients. (This is the WWW root directory for the package.)

Tools you use to create and edit HTML documents and/or DSPs. The contents of this directory are never updated by webMethods. components.

resources\ STATIC Contains Java classpath resources, which are external resources (such as zip files or a properties file) that can be loaded by specifying a relative pathname, resolved relative to the classpath, instead of an absolute pathname. This makes the code more portable.

--

templates\ DYNAMIC Contains output templates that have been created for the services in this package.

Editing operations that you perform on the template files using Developer, Integration Server Administrator, and/or your own text-editing tools.

web\ STATIC Contains user-created JSPs (Java server pages), servlets, and associated files used for web applications. These files must be stored in the package’s \web directory to be served by the Integration Server. They can be stored individually or packaged in a single Web archive (.war) file. For more information, see the Web Applications Developer’s Guide.

--



code\ -- Contains subdirectories that hold the source and executable code for coded services (that is, Java, C/C++, and COM services).

--

code\jars STATIC Contains external Java libraries used by the services in the package.

Tools you use to install or produce the external libraries. The contents of this directory are never updated by webMethods components.

code\libs See Description

Contains all executable C/C++ and/or COM program files that belong to the package. These files can be:

Third-party C/C++ or COM libraries used by services in this package. Files of this type are STATIC.

–OR–

The libraries and/or executable files for services that you have developed using C/C++ and/or COM. Files of this type are DERIVED.

STATIC files are updated by the tools you use to install or produce them.

DERIVED files are updated by the tools that you use to build the libraries and/or program files from their underlying source code.

code\classes DERIVED Contains the Java class files for services that belong to the package.

Saving or compiling a Java service with Developer or running the jcode make command.

Component Type Description Affected by



code\source See Description

Contains the source files for coded services (Java services, C/C++ services, and COM services) that belong to the package.

If the package contains Java services, this directory will have one source file for each folder that contains Java services. This file holds the source code (as a single class) for all of the Java services (coded as methods of the class) in the folder.

If you maintain your Java services with Developer, this source file is DERIVED.

If you maintain Java services with your own IDE, this source file is STATIC.

For each C/C++ service in the package, this directory will contain the C/C++ source code and supporting build files. These files are STATIC.

STATIC files are updated by the tools you use to create and/or modify them.

DERIVED files are updated when you save or compile a Java service with Developer.

ns\ -- Contains a subdirectory for each folder, service, document, and specification that resides in the package.

Each subdirectory has the same name as the component it represents (for example, a folder named ACK is contained in a subdirectory named ACK; a service named ACK:shipNotice is contained in the subdirectory ACK\shipNotice).

For additional information about the contents of the \ns directory, see “Checking In the ns Directory” on page 499.

--




ns\FolderName See Description

Contains the file node.idf, which holds Java code that is shared among the Java services residing in the folder.

If you maintain Java services using Developer, this file is DYNAMIC.

If you maintain Java services using your own IDE, this file is DERIVED.

This directory also contains a subdirectory for each service, document, specification, and/or folder that resides within it.

This file is updated when you modify the folder’s shared Java code with the Developer.

This file is rewritten when you run the jcode frag command on the folder’s Java source file.

ns\FolderName\ FlowServiceName

DYNAMIC Contains the following files: Operations that you perform on the flow service with Developer.

Operations that you perform on the service’s run-time settings using the Integration Server Administrator or Developer.


node.ndf Contains the service’s input/output parameters and run-time settings.

flow.xml Contains the service’s logic.

FlowServiceName.xsl

Contains the XSLT stylesheet, created only for XSLT services.

ns\FolderName\ CodedServiceName

See Description

Contains the following files for coded services:

The node.ndf file is updated when you edit the service’s run-time settings using the Integration Server Administrator or Developer.

The java.frag file is updated when you modify the source code for the Java service with Developer.

The java.frag file is replaced when you run the jcode frag command on the Java source file for this folder.


node.ndf Contains the service’s input/output parameters and run-time settings.

This file is DYNAMIC.

java.frag Contains the logic for the service.

If you maintain Java services with Developer, this file is DYNAMIC.

If you maintain Java services with your own IDE, this file is DERIVED.




Global ComponentsIn addition to package components, a webMethods solution also relies on certain global components, such as configuration files, access control lists, and log files, to operate successfully.

The following table contains global components that can affect the operation of the services in a package. It also identifies each component’s type (STATIC, DYNAMIC, or DERIVED) with respect to source control. (For a definition of these terms, see page 492.)

Components containing global parameters

ns\FolderName\non-ServiceElementName

DYNAMIC Contains the file node.ndf, which holds the definition of the element.

The non-service elements include: specifications, document types, triggers, schemas, flat file schemas, flat file dictionaries, and adapter notifications.

Operations that you perform on the element with the Developer.


Component Type Description Updated by

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\bin\server.bat(Windows systems)

—OR—

webMethods6/IntegrationServer/bin/server.sh(UNIX systems)

STATIC Contains the script that starts the server and establishes certain operating parameters under which the server runs.

This file includes the server’s CLASSPATH, which you must update when you want to make an external library (for example, a database driver) available to the server.

Editing operations that you perform on the file using your own text-editing tool. The content of this file is never modified by webMethods components.

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\config\*.* DYNAMIC Contains a set of configuration files, including access control lists, user account information, and server operating parameters, that define the server’s operating environment.

Various operations (for example, creating user accounts, editing access control lists, setting server properties, and so forth) that you perform with the Integration Server Administrator.



Adding Components to Source ControlTo put a solution that you have developed in source control, you check in all of its components that are STATIC or DYNAMIC (do not check in DERIVED files) as outlined in the following sections. (To determine whether a component is STATIC or DYNAMIC, refer to the component lists on page 492 and page 497.)

Choosing a Development Methodology for Java ServicesIf your solution includes Java services, you need to decide which development methodology your organization will use to maintain those services from this point forward. This decision will determine (1) which set of files you put in source control, and (2) the steps you must take after checking out a folder containing Java services to regenerate its DERIVED components.

If you want to use Developer to maintain the Java services in a folder, your “source files” are the individual java.frag files that belong to the folder. These are the files you will place in source control. After you check out these files, you must run the “jcode comp” and “jcode make” commands to generate (that is, derive) a new Java source file (in the code\source directory) from the java.frag files in the folder. These commands will also incorporate the shared code from the folder’s .idf file into the Java source file.

If you want to use another IDE to maintain the Java services in a folder, your “source file” is the single Java file that resides in the packageName\code\source directory and contains the source code for all Java services in that folder. This is the file that you will put in source control. When you check out this file and edit it with the IDE, you must run the “jcode frag” and “jcode make” commands to generate (that is, derive) new java.frag files in the namespace and update the shared code in the folder’s .idf file.

Tip! An alternative to checking in components is to use the package replication and publishing feature and check in a single packagename.zip to source control. See “Methods of Using Source Control” on page 490.

Note: The jcode utility is independent from locking in webMethods Developer. For example, you can use jcode to generate a new java.frag file without having the service locked (although recommended).

Adding Components to Source Control


Checking Components In to Source ControlCheck in the following components from each package that is a member of the solution. (Note that your package might not have all the components in the following list.)

In addition to package components, check in the following global components if your solution requires them.

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\bin\server.bat (Windows)

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\bin\server.sh (UNIX)

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\config\*.cnf

Checking In the ns DirectoryIf your solution does not contain any coded services (Java and C/C++ services) check in all files in PackageName\ns. However, if your solution includes Java services (or Java wrappers for C/C++ services), you need to know which development methodology your organization uses to maintain Java services in order to check the proper set of files from the ns subdirectory. (For additional information about development methodology for Java services, see “Choosing a Development Methodology for Java Services” on page 498.)

If your organization maintains Java services using Developer, check in all files in packageName\ns.

From webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\… Check In…

packageName\ manifest.v3

packageName\pub\ All files

packageName\templates\ All files

packageName\code\jars\ All files

packageName\code\libs\ Third-party libraries only. (Do not check in the executable program files for C/C++ or COM services.)

packageName\code\source\ C/C++ and COM source code and build files. If you use your own IDE to maintain Java services (not Developer), check in the Java source file for each folder.

packageName\ns See “Checking In the ns Directory” below.



If your organization maintains Java services using another IDE (and then registers the completed code on the server with the jcode utility), check in the following files:

Checking Components Out of Source ControlTo check a solution out of source control, perform the following general steps:

1 Check out any of the following global components that it uses:

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\bin\server.bat (Windows)

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\bin\server.sh (UNIX)

webMethods6\IntegrationServer\config\*.cnf

2 Check out the package(s) or package components with which you want to work.

3 If the package contains Java or C/C++ services, do one of the following:

If you maintain Java services with Developer, run the following jcode commands to generate a new source file from the java.frag files in packageName\ns:

jcode comp packageName folderName.subfolderNamejcode make packageName folderName.subfolderName

If you maintain Java services using another IDE, run the following jcode commands to generate new java.frag files from the Java source files in packageName\code\source:

jcode frag packageName folderName.subfolderNamejcode make packageName folderName.subfolderName

4 If your package contains C/C++ services, rebuild those services (for example, recompile the program to generate the DLL).

From webMethods6\IntegrationServer\packages\… Check In…

packageName\source All *.java files.

packageName\ns All files except the following:

node.idf in those folders that contain Java services

java.frag files

Updating Files That Are in Source Control


Updat ing Fi les That Are in Source ControlWhen you update a webMethods solution that you have checked out from source control, keep the following points in mind:

Make sure to check in any STATIC components (for example, HTML pages, DSPs, and C/C++ source code) that you modified with your own tools. This includes Java sources files that you updated with your own IDE.

Make sure to check in any DYNAMIC components (flow services, documents, and output templates) that you modified with the Integration Server Administrator or Developer.

The following table shows common editing tasks that you might perform and identifies the files they affect.

If you update a Java service with Developer, make sure to check in the components that you updated. The following table shows common editing tasks that you might perform, and identifies the files they affect.

If you change… You change the contents of…

Package settings, including:

Version ID

Dependencies

Startup/shutdown services

manifest.v3

Run-time settings for a service (for example, caching, state, prefetch)

The node.ndf file for that service

Input/output parameters for a service The node.ndf file for that service

Logic for a flow service The flow.xml file for that service

Output template for a service packageName\templates\templateName

If you change… You change the contents of…

Logic of a Java service with Developer The java.frag and .java files for that service

Shared code in a Java service with Developer

The node.idf file for that folder

Index


Index

Symbols! 437!= 434" 441% 441& 438&& 438( 441) 441/ 441< 434<= 435<> 434= 433== 433> 434>= 434\ 441_env field 251| 437|| 437‡ 265

Aaccess control 108ACLs

assigning to elements 108, 111assigning to packages and folders 111checking for services 109defined 108element creation, view, and deletion implications 116inheritance 113locking implications 115requirements for using Developer 20testing and debugging implications 116viewing on a server 114

actions, performing on IS elements 34

adapter notificationsdescribed 252guidelines for moving and copying 52

adapter services, retry behavior 390adding

folders 125packages 76transformers 222variables to pipeline link 219

addressingvariables in expressions and filters 439variables with special characters 440

alarm eventsbuilding handlers for 373definition of 362, 372reasons generated 372uses of 373

all content model 237Allow unspecified fields option 262and operator 438annotating source code for jcode 329anonymous type definitions 237any attribute declaration 236any element declaration 236anyURI content constraint 453API for Java services 323, 328applying

conditions to links 213constraints to variables 261, 452

areas of Developer windowbehavior and operation 33editor 29Fabric tab 27focus 33general layout 23Navigation panel 24Properties panel 31Recent Elements tab 28

I n d e x


resizing 35Results panel 33switching perspectives 36zooming 35

arithmetic services 222array variables

default behavior for linking 424definition of 424guidelines for linking 211linking to or from array variables 209, 424linking to or from scalar variables 209, 424linking to transformers 226using in filters 443

assigningdefault value to a variable 215replication services 89shutdown services 89startup services 89universal names to services 143values to pipeline variables 214, 215variable values to a variable 216version numbers to packages 81

attributedeclaration 236reference 236

audit data, when generated 147audit events

building handlers for 374definition of 362, 374when generated 147

Audit level property 154audit log

configuring 145described 146

auditingconfiguring 145failed and successful services 148, 152failed services 148for errors 151for recovery, described 153for resubmission purposes 151long-running services 153service retry 141

services 145use cases 151

auditing optionsoverwritten by server property 154setting for a service 153

auditLog server property 154

Bbase64Binary content constraint 453binding options for COM objects 339blank labels in BRANCH steps 171blue links, in the Pipeline tab 210booleans

content constraint 453in filters, Broker restrictions 443

BRANCH stepbranching on empty values 170branching on expressions 169branching on null values 170branching on switch value 167creating 175creating a multi-step child for 173definition of 122, 398Evaluate labels property 169specifying default step 172specifying label value 168specifying switch variable 167switch value 167using conditional expressions 169using in a flow 166using SEQUENCE as a target of 173using with regular expressions 168

breakpointsand the Trace Into command 296clearing from flow steps 296clearing from transformers 297listing all 298locating in flow services 298overview 295point when processing halts 296, 297removing 298setting in flow services 296

Index


setting on a flow step 296setting on a transformer 297

Brokerfilter collation locale 435filter rules 442

Broker document type, creating publishable document type from 248

browser clientscreating 356invoking services from 357, 359testing from 286

buildingevent handler sample 371event handlers 370flow services 120

built-in servicesfor arithmetic operations 222for date/time transformations 222for document (IData object) validation 269for pipeline validation 270for remote services 164for string manipulation 222for XML validation 271invoking 164throwExceptionForRetry 142

byte content constraint 453

CC/C++ clients

creating 350, 351creating a make file 351

C/C++ serviceschecking out of source control 500compiling with a make file 332creating 332, 333source control of 496, 499

cachingdefinition of 136elements to improve Developer performance 70services not suited for 136services suited for 136setting 138using prefetch 138

call stack 285catch sequence, in service retry 391changing

level of a step 160passwords 39position of a step 160

checkingcomponents into source control 499components out of source control 500

child flowsdescribed 160stepping in/out of child flows 294tracing 292

choice content model 237circular dependencies, between packages 86class files

location of 327, 494source control 492, 494

clearingbreakpoints on flow steps 296breakpoints on transformers 297

client applicationscreating browser-based 356creating C/C++ 350creating Excel 355creating Java 346creating Visual Basic 352

closed documents, described 262closing a session on webMethods Integration Server 37code directory 493, 494

classes 494coded services

about 316checking out of source control 500source control of 496, 499

collapsingtransformers 229white space 464

COM objectsbinding options 339invoking as services 337using with webMethods components 336

I n d e x


COM serviceschecking out of source control 500creating 336invoking 339, 341source control of 499

com.wm.app.b2b.server.ISRuntimeException class 142combining Trace and Step commands 289commands

Disable Step 298, 299Enable Step 298, 299Load Pipeline Locally 306Reset 290Restore Pipeline from Server 306Restore Pipeline Locally 306Save Pipeline from Server 306Save Pipeline Locally 304Save Pipeline to Server 304Set Breakpoint 296Step 288, 292, 293Step Into 288, 292, 294Step Out 292, 294Trace 288, 290, 291Trace Into 288, 290, 292Trace to Here 288, 290, 291

comments for jcode 329Comments property, definition 162, 402compiling

C/C++ services 336error in Java compiler location 324Java services 324, 330services with Developer 324services with jcode 330, 332specifying the Java compiler 324Visual Basic services 339

complex type definitionall content model 237anonymous 237choice content model 237described 237empty content 237mixed content 237sequence content model 237

componentschecking into source control 499checking out of source control 500DERIVED 492DYNAMIC 492global 497package 491STATIC 492

composite mode (jcode) 331conditional expressions

addressing variables 439addressing variables with special characters 440lexical operators 435logical operators 437operator precedence 438standard relational operators 433syntax 429using with pipeline links 213using with the BRANCH step 169

conditional linkscreating 214described 213disabling 301

conditionsapplying to links 213disabling on links 301

configuration files 497configuration information, source control of 493configuration management

See also source controlcandidates for source control 492, 497checking components into source control 499checking components out of source control 500components in a solution 491global components 497operations that affect package components 501package contents 491package location 492updating files that are under source control 501

connecting to webMethods Integration Server 21, 37

Index


constraining facetsapplying 265described 261, 462for pipeline validation 452

constraintscontent 234, 452definition of 261for IS schemas 234for XML validation 234structural 234viewing for variables 265

content constraintsapplying to variables 261constraining facets 261, 462editing for simple types 242for String variables, definition of 452for validation 452for variables, definition of 261for XML validation 234in IS schemas 234in IS schemas, definition of 234

content modelsall 237choice 237empty 237mixed 237sequence 237

content typesapplying to variables 262constraint symbol 265customizing 264specifiying constraining facet values 265

context-sensitive menus 34Control steps

BRANCH 122, 166definition of 121EXIT 122, 188LOOP 122, 184REPEAT 122, 177SEQUENCE 122, 183

conventions used in this document 17converting string lists to document (IData object) lists 208

copyingby reference, definition of 204by value, definition of 204elements from the Results panel 283elements from the Results tab 283IS elements 50pipeline values 217set values 217transformers 228

creatingcode for Java services 325event filters 366event filters for services 368event handler sample 371event handlers 370flow services 124, 125folders 125, 332IS elements 45IS schemas 239Java services with an IDE 329Java services with C/C++ 332Java services with Developer 319, 323Java services with Visual Basic 336, 338Java services with your own IDE 327links to array variables 424links to document (IData object) variables 206packages 76specifications for C/C++ services 332version numbers for packages 81

cursors 317customizing content types 264

Ddagger symbol, next to variable icon 265data transformations, definition of 194data types

icons to represent 127linking with Pipeline tab 207supported by webMethods Integration Server 420tables 423

data validationallowing undeclared variables 262applying constraints 261

I n d e x


benefits of 260blueprints for 260closed variables 262content constraints 261definition of 260document (IData object) validation 269errors 466exceptions 273, 480input/output validation

definition of 266performing via Input/Output tab 267performing via INVOKE step properties 268

open variables 262pipeline validation 270requiring variable existence 262structural constraints 261types of 260XML validation 271

date content constraint 453date conversion services 222dateTime content constraint 454DCOM objects

invoking as services 337using with webMethods Integration Server 336

debug level, setting on server 309debugging flow services

breakpoints 295combining trace and step 289disabling a single flow step 298disabling a transformer 299disabling conditions on links 301dumping the pipeline to serveryyyymmdd.log 311enabling a single flow step 298enabling a transformer 299modifying the pipeline 302overview 276, 288posting messages to serveryyyymmdd.log 310resetting debug mode 290stepping into a child flow 294stepping into a transformer 294stepping through a flow 288, 292tracing a flow 288, 290

tracing into a child flow 292using server debug facility 308, 309

debugLog service 310decimal content constraint 454declaring

input and output parameters 126input for a service 127output for a service 129

default value, assigning to a pipeline variable 215defining packages 76deleting

breakpoints on transformers 297event subscriptions 370IS elements 57links between variables 212packages 80

dependencies, packageidentifying 84removing 86

dependentschecking when renaming IS elements 47confirming before deleting elements 47finding service and document (IData object) 63safeguards for updating 48

DERIVED componentsdefinition of 492global components 497package components 493

details perspective 36Developer window, toolbar 28Developer. See webMethods Developerdimensionality, definition of 226directories

code 493, 494, 499, 500code\classes 494code\jars 494, 499code\libs 494, 499code\source 495, 499Java services 327ns 495, 499packages 492pub 493, 499templates 501

Index


Disable Step command 298, 299disabling

a condition placed on a link 301a flow step 298a transformer 299

dispatch servicesfor COM 337for DCOM 337

document (IData object) validationdefinition of 269errors 466exceptions 480performing 269

document data type 420document list data type

converting from String list 208definition of 420

document reference data typecreating 254definition of 420

document reference list data typecreating 254definition of 420

Document Type Definitions. See DTDsdocument types. See IS document typesdocumentation

accessing for packages 79additional 18conventions used 17creating for packages 79feedback 18using effectively 17

documents (IData objects)applying content constraints 452assigning to a document or document list 244, 254assigning to a specification 244benefits of 244creating 244errors when creating from DTD or XML Schema 484finding dependents 47linking 206open and closed 262pipeline validation 270

printing 253using as service parameters 244, 253viewing in browser 253

double content constraint 454DROP modifier 198, 218dropping values from the pipeline 218DSPs, source control of 492, 493DTDs

creating documents (IData objects) from 244creating IS document types from 246creating IS schemas from 239IS schema generation warnings 484

duration content constraint 455DYNAMIC components

checking in 498, 501definition of 492global components 497package components 493

Eearly binding, for a Visual Basic service 339, 341edit perspective 36editing

elements. See editorevent subscriptions 369flow services 120properties 32Service property 163simple types in IS schema 242

editordescribed 29help about 41hiding and showing 35inserting flow steps into 159resizing 35supported data types 127tabs 29viewing and editing elements in 30

element declaration 236element lock

copying, moving, and deleting 97removing. See unlocking elements

I n d e x


system lock 92user lock 92

element reference 236elements (IS)

See also editor 47assigning ACLs 111caching to improve Developer performance 70copying 50creating 45cutting 50definition of 44deleting 57displayed in editor 29displayed in Fabric tab 27displayed in Navigation panel 24displayed in Recent Elements tab 28double-clicking to open 49editing 47exporting 81finding dependents 47finding in Navigation panel 59finding unresolved references 65fully-qualified names 45guidelines

copying 50creating 45deleting 57general actions 48moving 50opening and closing 49renaming 55

help for properties 41locating in Navigation panel 31locking 47moving 50naming guidelines 46overwriting when creating publishable document types 249pasting 50performing actions 48performing actions on 34permissions 108references 65renaming 55

saving 57single-clicking does not open 49unlocking 47viewing as HTML 47

emptycontent 237strings in filters 435values, branching on 170

Enable service audtiting options, described 147Enable Step command 298, 299enabling

flow steps 298service auditing 147transformers 299

end-to-end linking 221entering input for a service 278ENTITIES content constraint 455ENTITY content constraint 455enumeration constraining facet 462envelope field

in publishable document types 251usage restrictions 251

error auditing, described 151error handling, in flow services 183errors

data validation 466document (IData object) generation 484flow service generation 484IS schema generation 484pipeline validation 466

Evaluate labels property 176event filters

creating 366creating for services 368

event handlerscreating 370creating sample 371definition of 363for alarm events 373for audit events 374for exception events 376for GD End events 380for GD Start events 379

Index


for port status events 381for replication events 382for session end events 383for session expire events 384for session start events 383for stat events 385for Tx End events 387for Tx Start events 387stages of creating 370

Event Manageralarm events

building handlers 373definition of 362, 372uses 373

audit eventsbuilding handlers 374definition of 362, 374

definition of 362event behavior 363event handlers 363Event Manager command 364exception events 362, 376

building handlers 376filters 366GD End events 377

building handlers 380uses 377

GD Start events 377building handlers 379uses 377

guaranteed delivery events 362pattern strings 366port status events 362, 380


replication events 362, 381building handlers 382uses 381

run-time behavior 363session end events 382

building handlers 383session events 362, 382

uses 382

session expire events 382building handlers 384

session start events 382building handlers 383

stat events 363, 384building handlers 385uses 384

subscriptionscreating 364creating filters for 366deleting 370editing 369managing 364suspending 369viewing 369

transaction events 363, 386Tx End events 386


Tx Start events 386building handlers 387uses 386

viewing subscriptions 369events

See also event handlers, Event Managercreating filters 366creating filters for services 368deleting subscriptions to 370editing subscriptions to 369guaranteed delivery 377subscribing to 364suspending subscriptions to 369types of 362viewing subscriptions to 369

Excel clients, creating 355exception events

building handlers for 376definition of 362, 376

exceptionsdata validation 273, 480during a test 284

executing services from Developer 277execution locale 139

I n d e x


Exit on property 183EXIT step

creating 189definition of 122, 401using in a flow 188

expanding transformers 229explicit linking, definition of 200explicit universal names 144exporting elements and packages 81expressions

addressing variables 439addressing variables with special characters 440branching on 169operator precedence 438operators for 432syntax for 429using for pipeline linking 213

extending the Java class 322extends (Java keyword) 322

Ffacets, See constraining facetsfailIfInvalid property 480failure

of a flow step 183of a REPEAT step 178

fieldscontent type constraint symbol 265dagger symbol 265green squares 265optional symbol 265

filesaffected by Developer operations 492, 501affected by Integration Server Administrator operations 492,

501associated with services 492, 497containing global parameters 497flow.xml 496, 501java.frag 496, 501manifest.v3 499, 501node.idf, interface 496, 501

node.ndfcoded service 496, 501documents 497flow services 496, 501Java service 496, 501

package members 492server.bat 497server.sh 497

filter collation locale 435filtering events 366filters

addressing variables 439addressing variables with special characters 441allowed quantifiers 443arrays 443back references 443booleans in 443braces {} in 443checking for variable existence 443collation locale, specifying 435comparing strings and numeric values 443comparison operators,missing 443constrained Objects in 443effect of locale 435extended metacharacters 443lexical relational operators 435lists 443logical operators 437$null 443operators for 432server performance 433standard relational operators 433syntax 429syntax restrictions 442variables with special characters 440

findingelements in Navigation panel 59invoked services 63service and document (IData object) dependents 63unresolved pipeline references 66unresolved references 65

float content constraint 455

Index


flow servicesSee also services, debugging flow servicesbreakpoints 295, 296caching to improve Developer performance 70creating 125debugging 288definition of 120disabling a single step 298disabling a transformer 299disabling conditions placed links 301editing 120enabling a single step 298enabling a transformer 299errors creating from DTD or XML Schema 484file system representation 496files in package structure 496inserting steps in a service 159maximum retry period 141printing 155response to failure 183retrying 140, 142source control of 490, 492stages of creating 124stepping in/out of child flows 294stepping in/out of transformers 294stepping through 292tracing 290viewing in browser 155

flow stepsBRANCH 122, 166changing the level of 160changing the position of 160definition of 121disabling 298enabling 298EXIT 122, 188failure of 183grouping 183hierarchical order of 160inserting into a flow service 158INVOKE 121, 163LOOP 122, 184MAP 122, 191

moving in a flow service 160parent/child relationships 160properties 161re-enabling 298REPEAT 122, 177SEQUENCE 122, 183setting breakpoints on 296

flow.xml 496, 501folders, creating 125frag mode (jcode) 331

GGD End events

building handlers for 380definition of 377pub.remote.gd:end 377uses of 377when generated 378

GD Start eventsbuilding handlers for 379definition of 377pub.remote.gd:start 377uses of 377when generated 378

gDay content constraint 456Generate Code command 349, 351, 353global declarations, in XML Schemas and DTDS 236global parameter files 497gMonth content constraint 456gMonthDay content constraint 456Go To Breakpoint command 298Go To command (for services) 63gray links, in the Pipeline tab 200green square, next to variable icon 265grouping flow steps 183guaranteed delivery events

See also GD End events, GD Start eventscompared to transaction events 378definition of 362, 377generating guaranteed delivery (GD) events 378generating transaction (Tx) events 378overview 378when generated 378

I n d e x


guidelinesfor assigning startup, shutdown, and replication services 88for elements

creating 45deleting 57moving and copying 50opening and closing 49renaming 55working with 48

for linking array variables 211for linking document (IData object) variables 206for linking variables 202for linking variables of different data types 207for naming packages 76

gYear content constraint 457gYearMonth content constraint 457

Hhailmary mode (jcode) 332hard-coding input variables 214help, obtaining 41hexBinary content constraint 457hiding and showing panels 35HTML pages, source control 492, 493HTML, viewing elements in 47

IID content constraint 457IData objects

creating 317definition of 316getting data from 317positioning cursors 317putting data in 317using in a Java service 328

IDEassigning a super class with 322creating source code in 320defining private methods with 322implementing interfaces with 322importing Java packages 322

in Developer 318, 320source control ramifications 499using other IDEs 327using the Java service editor 320using the Shared tab 322

identifyingpackage dependencies 84replication services 89shutdown services 89startup services 89

IDREF content constraint 458IDREFS content constraint 458implementing interface in Java services 322implements (Java keyword) 322implicit linking

described 200for MAP steps 221

implicit universal names 144import (Java keyword) 322, 328import mechanism, in XML Schemas 241importing Java packages 322, 328include mechamism, in XML Schemas 241index, array variables 211Indexing tab. See linking array variablesInput array property 185input variables

declaring for a service 126, 127declaring in a document (IData object) 244entering test values for 278hard-coding 214linking considerations 202linking in the pipeline 200loading values from a file 280saving values to a file 280

input/output parametersdeclaring for a service 126generating Java code from 325

Input/Output tab 129input/output validation

definition of 266performing via Input/Output tab 267performing via INVOKE step 268

Index


insertingINVOKE step 164steps into flow services 159transformers 222

installing Java services 327int content constraint 458integer content constraint 458Integrated Development Environment. See IDEIntegration Server Administrator, unlocking elements 99Integration Server. See webMethods Integration Serverinterfaces

file system representation 495implementing in Java service 322node.idf 496, 501

INVOKE stepComments property 402creating 164definition of 121, 402finding 63invoking built-in services 164invoking services on another server 164Label property 403peforming validation via step properties 268Pipeline tab 195Scope property 402Service property 163, 403Timeout property 402using in a flow 163Validate input property 403Validate output property 403

invokingbuilt-in services 164remote services 164services 164services from a browser 357, 359services on another server 164Visual Basic services 339

IS document typesSee also documents (IData objects)creating empty document types 245creating from Broker document type 248creating from DTD 246creating from XML document 246

creating from XML Schema 246described 244editing 252file system representation 495source control of 492

IS elements. See elements (IS)IS schemas

appearance 234constraints 234content constraints 234creating 239definition of 234editing simple types 242errors from generating 484generating multiple 241import element 241include element 241structural constraints 234using to validate an XML document 271warnings from generating 484

ISRuntimeExceptionsdescription of 140throwing in services 390

Jjars directory 494, 499Java classes for object and object list variables 421Java clients, creating 346, 349Java keywords

extends 322implements 322import 322, 328

Java service editor 320Java services

adding private methods to 322checking out of source control 500compiler location 324compiling with Developer 324compiling with jcode 330creating 323, 325creating with an IDE 327, 329creating with Developer 319extending the class of 322

I n d e x


implementing interface in 322importing packages into 322, 328installing manually 327jcode requirements 329location of class files 327location of jar files 494location of library files 494location of source files 328publishing to the server 327required code 328setting run-time options 326source control of 490, 496, 499stages of development 319structure of 318using with webMethods components 318validating from 271

java.frag for coded services 496, 501jcode utility

composite mode 331frag mode 331hailmary mode 332make mode 330purpose of 327source code samples 446source code tags 329update mode 332using with source control 500

Kkeyboard shortcuts 34

LL_EQUALS 436L_GREATER_OR_EQUAL 436L_GREATER_THAN 436L_LESS_OR_EQUAL 436L_LESS_THAN 436L_NOT_EQUALS 436Label property

definition 403for evaluating expressions 169for general use 162

for specifying the default BRANCH step 172for targeting BRANCH steps 168

language content constraint 458late binding, for a Visual Basic service 339length constraining facet 463lexical relational operators

conditional expressions 435definition of 435empty string 435locale 435non-string variables 435

libs directory 332, 336, 339, 494, 499link indices 211linking

array variables 209default rules 424guidelines for 211to array variables 424to scalar variables 424to transformers 226

between document formats 221conditional links 213considerations 202copying by reference 204copying by value 204default behavior for arrays 211deleting links between variables 212different data types 207disabling conditions on links 301document (IData object) variables 206in a single view 221input variables 200output variables 201pipeline variables to service variables 199scalar variables to array variables 424the pipeline 203transformers 223variables conditionally 213variables explicitly 200variables implicitly 200

linksblue colored 210deleting 212

Index


disabling conditions 301executing at run time 204gray colored 200in Pipeline tab 199

list variables in filters 443Load Pipeline Locally command 306loading

input values from a file 280pipeline values from a file

into Results panel 306overview 306with restorePipelineFromFile service 307

locating a breakpoint 298locking elements

corresponding server files 102description 92Java and C/C++ 94single element 94system locking 96template service 95unlocking. See unlocking elementsviewing lock status 92, 96

log files, audit log 146logging on to webMethods Integration Server 21, 37logical operators, definition of 432long content constraint 458LOOP step

creating 187creating nested loops 185definition of 122, 403setting Input array 185setting Output array 186using in a flow 184

Mmake file

creating 332using to compile C/C++ services 336

make mode (jcode) 330managing components of a webMethods solution 490manifest.v3 499, 501

MAP modifierdefinition of 198executing at run time 204linking different data types 207linking from service output 201linking to service input 200

MAP stepdebugging 294definition of 122, 405disabling transformers 299enabling transformers 299inserting transformers 222Pipeline tab 197transformers 221using in a flow 191using to initialize variables in a flow 191, 216

mapping. See linkingMax attempts property 142maxExclusive constraining facet 463maximum retry period, definition of 141maximum retry period, description of 141maxInclusive constraining facet 463maxLength constraining facet 463maxOccurs threshold value, for validation 274memory

reducing usage 70running out of during validation 274

menu bar, using to perform actions 34metacharacters, in filters 443methods, adding to a Java service 322minExclusive constraining facet 463minInclusive constraining facet 463minLength constraining facet 463mixed content 237modifying the pipeline 198moving

IS elements 50steps in a flow service 160steps within a flow 160

I n d e x


NName content constraint 459name transformations, definition of 194namespace information (for services)

creating source file from 331, 332location of 327updating with jcode 331

namespacesusage in universal names 143XML namespace property 255

naming services 45Navigation panel

described 24help about 41hiding and showing 35icons 24, 92refreshing contents of 27resizing 35toolbar 28

NCName content constraint 459negativeInteger content constraint 459NMTOKEN content constraint 459NMTOKENS content constraint 459node.idf, for interface definition 496, 501node.ndf

for coded services 496, 501for documents 497for flow service 496, 501

nonNegativeInteger content constraint 459nonPositiveInteger content constraint 460not operator 437notification, of server shutdown 39ns directory 327, 495, 499

checking components out from source control 500flow services 496interfaces 495specifications 497

$nullin filters 443in labels for BRANCH steps 171

null, branching on 170

OObject data type

definition of 421in filters 443

Object list data type, definition of 421object list variables, Java classes 421object variables, Java classes 421online help, obtaining 41open and closed documents 262open documents, described 262opening a session on webMethods Integration Server 37operations, performing on IS elements 34operators

conditional expressions and filters 432lexical relational operators 435logical 437precedence in expressions 438relational 432standard relational operators 433

optional variables for validation 262or operator 437out of sync publishable document types 253Output array property 186output templates

assigning to a service 132definition of 132source control of 492

output variablesdeclaring 129declaring for a service 126declaring in a document (IData object) 244linking considerations 202linking in the pipeline 201

Overwrite Pipeline Value option 215

Ppackages

adding 76assigning version numbers 81contents of 491, 492copying 77creating 76creating circular dependencies 86

Index


cutting 77definition of 74deleting 80dependencies, using with startup services 87directories 492documenting 79exporting 81identifying dependencies 84importing into Java services 322, 328location on server 492moving 77naming guidelines 76pasting 77reloading 80reloading vs refreshing 80removing dependencies 86required by Java services 328source control candidates 492viewing details 77viewing patch history 82

panelseditor 29Fabric 27Navigation 24Properties 31Recent Elements 28Results 33switching perspectives 36

parametersapplying constraints 261benefits of declaring 127declaring 126, 131declaring for a service 127, 129

parent/child relationships in a flow 160passwords

changing 39requirements 39

patch historyremoval by Integration Server 83viewing for a package 82

pattern constraining facet 463pattern matching, in event subscriptions 366Perform Variable Substitution option 216

Performance 150performance impact, service auditing 150permission

See also ACLsassigning to elements 108

Permissions property 112perspectives of views 36pipeline

adding variables to 219addressing variables 439adjusting 198assigning values to 214changing values 302checking for variables 432conditional linking 213copying values 217definition of 122DROP modifier 218dropping values 302dropping variables from 218inspecting modifiers 66linking 203

array variables 209default rules 424guidelines for 211

input variables 200output variables 201scalar variables, default rules 424transformers 223variables of different data types 207

MAP step 191modifying 302Overwrite Pipeline Value option 215Perform Variable Substitution option 216Pipeline In 195Pipeline Out 196restoring from a file 306saving 303saving from Results panel 304saving with savePipelineToFile service 305Service In 195Service Out 196SET VALUE modifier 214

I n d e x


stages of 195validating 270validating via built-in services 270validating via Java service 271viewing after run-time exception 286viewing with Developer 281

Pipeline Editor. See Pipeline tabPipeline In 195, 197pipeline modifiers

definition of 198DROP 198MAP 198SET VALUE 198

Pipeline Out 196, 197pipeline references

definition of 66finding 66

Pipeline tab 194blue links (conditional link) 210copying by reference 204copying by value 204default behavior for arrays 211default linking rules 424deleting links between variables 212editing a MAP step 197editing INVOKE step 195gray links (implicit link) 200inserting transformers 222linking

array variables 209default rules 424guidelines for 211

document (IData object) variables 206scalar variables, default rules 424transformers 223variables 199

overview 194printing 198transformer movement 225viewing in browser 198

pipeline validationdefinition of 270errors 466

exceptions 480performing via built-in services 270performing via Java service 271

port status eventsbuilding handlers for 381definition of 362, 380uses of 380

positiveInteger content constraint 460precision constraining facet 464prefetch 138preserve white space 464printing

documents (IData objects) 253flow services 155Pipeline tab contents 198

private methods, defining in Java service 322program code conventions in this document 17programming languages

creating services with 316supported 316

propertiesAudit level 154auditLog server 154Comments 162, 402definition of 161editing 32Evaluate labels 176Exit on 183for transformers 223Input array 185Label 162, 403Label (for BRANCH steps) 168, 172Output array 186Permissions 112Repeat on 178, 179, 408Scope 175, 402Service 163, 165, 223, 403setting for variables 255Switch 167, 176Timeout 165, 175, 179, 180, 187, 402Validate input 165, 223, 403Validate output 165, 223, 403XML Namespace 255

Index


Properties panelauditing a service 146described 31flow step properties 161help about 41hiding and showing 35patch history for packages 83resizing 35run-time parameters 134

pub directory 493, 499pub.flow:getRetryCount service 143pub.flow:throwExceptionForRetry service 142

invoking 393pub.publish:envelope document type 251pub.remote.gd:end service 377pub.remote.gd:start service 377pub.remote:invoke service 164pub.schema:validate service 269pub.schema:validatePipeline service 270publishable document types

adapter notifications 252creating from Broker document type 248defined 249editing 253envelope field 251overwriting elements 249synchronizing 253

publishing services to the server 327

RRecent Elements tab

described 27, 28help about 41hiding and showing 35resizing 35

Record data type. See document data typeRecord list data type. See document list data typeRecord Reference data type. See document reference data typeRecord Reference List data type. See document reference list

data typerecords. See document (IData object), IS document typesredefine mechanism, in XML Schemas 241

re-enablingflow steps 298transformers 299

referenced elements, importing during synchronization 249references

finding 65inspecting pipeline 66

refreshdifference from restoring a session 38Navigation panel contents 27Recent Elements tab contents 29

regular expressionscreating event filters with 368definition of 412operators 413using as a BRANCH label 168using in a mask 412

reinvoking services 151relational operators

definition of 432lexical 435standard 433types of 432

reloading packages 80remote servers, invoking services on 164remote services, invoking 164removing

breakpoints 298breakpoints from transformers 297package dependencies 86packages 80replication services 90shutdown services 90startup services 90variables from the pipeline 218

renamingIS elements 55transformers 230

Repeat on property 178, 179, 408REPEAT step

creating (on failure) 179creating (on success) 181

I n d e x


definition of 122, 406failure 178specifying the repeat condition 178, 408using in a flow 177using to retry a failed step 179using to retry a successful step 181

replace white space 464replication events

building handlers for 382definition of 362, 381uses of 381

replication servicesassigning 89definition of 88guidelines for assigning 88removing 90when to use 88

requirements for passwords 39requiring variable existence for validation 262Reset command 290resizing

panels 35window areas 35

Restore Pipeline from Server command 306Restore Pipeline Locally command 306restorePipelineFromFile service 303, 306restoring

pipeline values from a fileinto Results panel 306overview 306with restorePipelineFromFile service 307

sessions 38Results panel

copying elements from 283described 33general information 282help about 41hiding and showing 35resizing 35saving results from 303

retried audit log status 141Retry interval property 142Retry on ISRuntimeException category 142

retry period, maximum 141retry, for service 140retrying a flow step 177Run command 277Run in Browser command 286running out of memory, during validation 274running services from Developer 277run-time exceptions 284run-time settings 326

SSave Pipeline Locally command 304Save Pipeline to Server command 304savePipelineToFile service 305, 306saving

changes to elements 57elements (IS) 57input values to a file 280test results from Results panel 304test results using savePipelineToFile service 305test results, overview 303

scalar variablesdefault behavior for linking 424definition of 424linking to or from array variables 424

scale constraining facet 462schema browser, definition of 235schema details area, definition of 238schema editor 234schema processor, definition of 239schema services

for document (IData object) validation 269for pipeline validation 270for XML validation 271

Scope property, definition 402Send XML File command 287sequence content model 237SEQUENCE step

as target for a BRANCH 173definition of 122, 408setting exit condition 183using in a flow 183

server files, viewing for locked elements 102

Index


server. See webMethods Integration Serverserver.bat 497server.sh 497serveryyyymmdd.log file 309

contents of 309dumping pipeline to 311overview 308posting messages to 310

service auditingconfiguring 145described 145enabling 147error auditing 151failed and successful services 152including pipeline 149overwriting individual service settings 154performance impact 148, 150specifying which states to log 147use cases 151

Service In 195Service Out 196Service property

definition 403definition of 163editing 163for transformers 223renaming transformers with 230

service retryadapter services 390audit log 141basic componenents 391configuring 140example 394overview 390requirements 142, 390restrictions 142throwing exceptions for 390

servicesassigning universal names 143audit data

enabling 147when generated 147

auditingconfiguring 145enabling 147for recovery 153long-running services 153options 153

caching to improve Developer performance 70checking out of source control 500configuring retry 140creating event filters for 368creating flow 125creating with Visual Basic 336, 338execution locale 139finding dependents 47finding invoked 63flow control 121input signature for trigger services 128invoking built-in 164invoking on another server 164invoking on remote servers 164locale policy 139naming 45provided by webMethods Integration Server 164reinvoking 151retry exceptions 390retryiing 142retrying adapter services 390source control of 490, 496, 499stages of creating 124state information 135testing and debugging 276throwing retry exceptions 390transformers 220validating input/output via Input/Output tab 267validating input/output via INVOKE step 268

sessionclosing on webMethods Integration Server 37opening on webMethods Integration Server 37restoring 38

session end eventsbuilding handlers for 383definition of 382

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session eventsSee also session end events, session expire events, session

start eventsdefinition of 362, 382uses of 382

session expire eventsbuilding handlers for 384definition of 382

session start eventsbuilding handlers for 383definition of 382

Set Breakpoint command 296SET VALUE modifier 198, 214

copying 217using in MAP step 216

settingbreakpoints on flow steps 296breakpoints on transformers 297variable values 214

Settings tab. See Properties panelShared tab 322short content constraint 460shortcuts, for toolbars 28showing and hiding panels 35shutdown services

assigning 89definition of 87guidelines for assigning 88removing 90when to use 87

signaturefor trigger services 128of a service 316

simple types 237editing in IS schema 242

single view linking 221source code

compiling Visual Basic 339compiling with C/C++ make file 336compiling with jcode 330, 332creating automatically for a Java service 325creating from namespace information 331creating in your own Java IDE 328

creating Java 326location of 328, 338, 495source control of 495tagging for jcode 329writing in C/C++ 335writing in Developer 320

source control*.cnf files 497C/C++ services 496, 499candidates 492, 493, 497checking components in 499checking components out 500classes directory files 494coded services 496, 499COM services 499DERIVED components 492, 493, 497documents 497DYNAMIC components 492, 493, 497, 498, 501global parameter files 490, 497, 499interface files 495jars directory files 494, 499Java services 496, 499libs directory files 494, 499managing components 490ns directory files 495, 499, 500operations that affect package components 501package files 490, 492, 499pub directory files 493, 499running jcode after check out 500server configuration files 497server.bat 497server.sh 497source directory files 494, 499, 500specifications 497STATIC components 492, 493, 497, 498, 501template directory files 501updating files that are under source control 501

source directory 494, 499, 500Source field on Shared tab 322Source tab. See Java service editorspecial characters

in variable names 440typing in expressions 441

Index


specificationsassigning to a service 258benefits of 256creating 256definition of 256file system representation 497finding dependents 47source control of 492

squares, green 265stack overflow, during validation 274standard relational operators

definition of 433using in filters 433using in triggers 433

starting Developer 20startup services

assigning 89definition of 87effect on package dependencies 87, 90guidelines for assigning 88removing 90when to use 87

stat eventsbuilding handlers for 385definition of 363, 384uses of 384

state information for a service 135STATIC components

checking in 498, 501definition of 492global components 497package components 493

status events. See port status eventsStep command 288, 292, 293Step Into command 288, 292, 294Step Out command 292, 294stepping through a flow 288, 292string content constraint 460String data type, definition of 420String list data type

converting to document list 208definition of 420

String table data type 420

stringscopying by reference 204transformation services 221, 222

structural constraintsdefinition of 234, 261for validation 261for XML validation 234IS schemas 234

structural transformationsdefinition of 194examples 208linking to resolve 207

subordinate flow steps. See child flowssubscribing to events, overview 364super class, defining in IDE 322suspending event subscriptions 369Switch property 167, 176switch value, branching on 167symbol

for content type constraints 265for optional variables 265

syntax for conditional expressions and filters 429system locking an element 96

Ttables, support of 423tabs

Input/Output tab 129Pipeline tab 194Schema tab. See schema editor 234selecting 29Settings tab for services. See also Properties panel 326Shared tab 322

tagging source code for jcode 329templates

assigning to a service 132definition of 132

templates directory 501test perspective 36test results

changing pipeline values 302copying 283loading 303

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saving 303viewing 281

testing servicesentering test input 278from a browser 286from Developer 277inspecting the pipeline 281loading input values from a file 280loading the pipeline 303overview 276run-time exceptions 284saving input to a file 280saving the pipeline 303setting breakpoints 295testing in debug mode 288viewing results 281viewing the call stack 285viewing the pipeline 286XML document as input 287

threshold value, for maxOccurs 274throw exception for retry 391time content constraint 461time conversion services 222timeDuration content constraint 455Timeout property 165

definition 402for BRANCH step 175for LOOPstep 187for REPEAT step 179, 180

token content constraint 461toolbar, Developer window 28toolbar, using to perform actions 34totalDigits constraining facet 464Trace command 288, 290, 291Trace Into command 288, 290, 292

and breakpoints 296effect on breakpoints 296

Trace to Here command 288, 290, 291tracePipeline service 311tracing

a flow 288, 290into a child flow 292

transaction eventsSee also Tx End events, Tx Start eventscompared to guaranteed delivery events 378definition of 363, 386uses of 386when generated 378

Transformer not found message 230transformers

adding 222array variables 226clearing breakpoints 297collapsing 229considerations 222copying 228debugging 294definition of 220dimensionality mismatch 226disabling 299enabling 299expanding 229inserting 222linking 223linking array variables 226movement in Pipeline tab 225output variables 224properties 223re-enabling 299renaming 230Service property 223services provided by webMethods 221setting breakpoints 297stepping in/out of child flows 294Validate input property 223Validate output property 223validating input and output 227zooming in on 229

transient error, definition of 140, 390trigger services, input signature requirements 128triggers

creating filters for 428description of 25disabled when copied 52

Index


filter syntax restrictions 442filters and relational operators 435lexical operators 432testing 276used with adapter notifications 252using standard relational operators 433

troubleshooting information 18try sequence, in service retry 391Tx End events

building handlers for 387definition of 386uses of 386when generated 378

Tx Start eventsbuilding handlers for 387definition of 386uses of 386when generated 378

type definitionsanonymous 237complex types 237simple types 237

typographical conventions in this document 17

UUnicode, and Java source code 331universal names

assigning to services 143implicit vs explicit 144local portion of name 143namespace portion of name 143removing from a service 145

unlocking elementsmore than one 97system locked 101using Integration Server Administrator 99using webMethods Developer 98

unresolved references, finding 65unsignedByte content constraint 461unsignedInt content constraint 461unsignedLong content constraint 462unSignedShort content constraint 462update mode (jcode) 332

updating files that are under source control 501URL, invoking services from 357, 359user account on webMethods Integration Server 20

VValidate input property 165, 223

definition 403Validate output property 165, 223

definition 403validatePipeline service 270validating

See also validationdocuments (IData objects) 269from Java services 271input/output for transformers 227input/output via Input/Output tab 267input/output via INVOKE step 268pipeline via built-in services 270pipeline, overview 270service input/output 266, 267, 268XML documents 271

validationSee also validatingallowing undeclared variables 262applying constraints 261benefits of 260blueprints for 260constraining facets 462constraints, definition of 261content constraints 452definition of 260errors 273, 466exceptions 273, 480input/output 266overview 260requiring variable existence 262running out of memory 274service input and output 266stack overflow 274types of 260XML validation 271

validation errors and error codes 466

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validation servicespub.schema:validate 269, 271pub.schema:validatePipeline 270

value transformations, definition of 194variables

adding to the pipeline 219addressing in the pipeline 439applying constraints 261applying content constraints 452applying content types 262checking for existence 432content type constraint symbol 265copying by reference 204copying by value 204copying values in pipeline 217declaring for a service 126, 127, 129declaring in a document (IData object) 244deleting links 212initializing values 216linked by blue line 210linking 200linking conditionally 213optional existence for validation 262optional symbol 265requiring existence for validation 262setting properties 255substitutions 216using as Set Value 216viewing applied constraints 265XML Namespace property 255

version numbers, assigning to packages 81View as HTML command 155, 198, 253view perspectives 36viewing

assigned value of a variable 215breakpoints list 298elements in HTML 47status of a locked element 92, 96test results 281variable constraints 265

Visual Basic clients, creating 352Visual Basic services

creating 336, 338

early binding 339, 341invoking early binding service 341invoking late binding service 339late binding 339win32.COM:invoke 339, 341win32.COM:invokeLate 339

Wwarnings

document (IData object) generation 484flow service generation 484IS schema generation 484

watt.server.auditLog property, described 154watt.server.invoke.maxRetryPeriod 141watt.server.stats.pollTime property 380webMethods API, for Java 328webMethods Developer

main window 23online help 41starting 20toolbar 28

webMethods Integration Serveraccess requirements for 20closing a session 37configuration files 497connecting to 21, 37disconnecting from 37logging on to 21notification of shutdown 39opening a session 37package directory structure 492performing ACL checking 109property files affecting services 497source control of 497supported data types 420

webMethods Monitor 145, 151webMethods Type Library 348, 352, 355When to include input pipeline options, described 149When to log options, described 147whiteSpace constraining facet 464win32.COM.dispatch:createObject 337win32.COM:invoke 339, 341win32.COM:invokeLate 339

Index


windowslayout 23zooming 35

WmPublic package, definition of 164WmVBDemo.vbp 338

XXML documents

creating documents (IData objects) from 244creating IS document types from 246creating IS schemas from 239testing services with 287

XML Namespace property, described 255XML Schema definitions

creating documents (IData objects) from 244creating IS document types from 246creating IS schemas from 239import mechanism 241

include mechanism 241IS schema generation warnings 484redefine mechanism 241referenced by other XML Schemas 241

XML validationcontent constraints 234creating IS schemas 239definition of 271errors 466exceptions 480IS schemas, overview 234performing 271structural constraints 234

Zzooming

in a window 35in on transformers 229

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webMethods Developer Users Guide 65

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