Defining the Data for a Process in Containers 

Use

For an integration process to be able to process data such as messages or counters correctly, you must first define the data as container elements. Container elements are similar to variables in a programming language.

You design container elements at design time. At runtime, the container elements then contain the references to the relevant data. For example, in the case of a receive step, you must define a container element for the message to be received and then specify this container element in the properties of the receive step. At runtime, this container element then contains a reference to the received message.

Categories and Types

When you define a container element, specify its name, a category, and a type. The container element can then reference a value from the corresponding type at runtime.

A container element for a counter variable must have the category Simple XSD Data Type and the data type Integer, for example. A container element for a message must have the category Abstract Interface and a corresponding message type, for example. 

The following table shows the possible categories:

 

Category	Use
Abstract Interface	For messages, which are defined by using the corresponding asynchronous abstract interface and which are used in receive or send steps, for example (see also: Communication Parameters). An integration process can only reference interfaces from its own software component version.
Simple XSD Data Type	For process control elements, such as counters, which are used in container operations, for example (see also: XSD Data Types)
Receiver	For a receiver list that is determined from a receiver determination step, and which can be used in a send step.

Multiline Container Elements

A container element can be a single-line or a multiline element. A multiline container element is a table comprising elements of the same type. For example, if you want to gather messages in a container element, you must define this element as a multiline container element. 

Assigning Values

At runtime, you can assign a value to a container element, for example to increase a counter or to append a message to a list of messages. To do so, insert a container operation step in the integration process at the appropriate position.

Visibility and Validity of Container Elements

You control the visibility and validity of container elements by using blocks. The process and its blocks have a separate container.

Note the following for nested blocks:

·        The container elements in a parent block are visible in all sub-blocks and can be written-to and read there.

·        You can define additional container elements for local variables in a sub-block. These are not visible in the parent block.

Activities

You define the data that an integration process is to process as container elements. You define container elements in the object area of the graphical process editor.

You define container elements that are to be available in the entire integration process in process containers. You define container elements that are only to be available in a particular block or its sub-blocks in block containers.

Once you have defined the required container elements, enter them in the properties of the steps that are to process this data.