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Use

You use a transformation step ( ) to do the following:

  • n:1 Transformation

    Bundles multiple messages into one message, for example, individual purchase order items into one purchase order.

  • 1:n Transformation

    Splits a message into multiple messages, for example, a purchase order into the individual purchase order items.

  • 1:1 Transformation

    Converts a message into another message, for example, a message that is defined by interface A is converted to message that is defined by interface B.

    Note

    Since no receiver information is available in the transformation step, there can be no value mapping within the transformation step. If the messages to be transformed give values in different formats, for example different date formats, you must first 'normalize' the values before the messages can be processed in the process. To do so, define a message mapping with a corresponding value mapping.

    More information: Message Mappings and Value Mappings

More information about making correct use of transformation steps and mappings: Checklist: Making Correct Use of Mappings .

Attachments for n:1 and 1:n Transformations

If the messages you want to bundle contain attachments, the system collects them together and appends them to the bundled message.

If the message you want to split contains attachments, the system replicates them and appends them to all the messages once they have been split.

Exception

You can specify an exception that is to be thrown when a system error (a permanent error) occurs.

More information: Exception Handling

Parameterized Mapping Programs

You can use parameterized mapping programs to transfer values from the process container and values from configurable parameters to the mapping program.

You can also use parameterized mapping programs for lookups to query business intelligence data in an integration process, for example. For this purpose, use a parameterized mapping program with an import parameter of type Adapter.

The following example describes a possible use case:

You want to determine the credit limit for a customer in a monitoring process so that you can control processing in the monitoring process based on the credit limit. To do so, define a mapping program in which you use the customer number as the import parameter and the credit limit as the export parameter. In a relevant transformation step in the monitoring process enter the container element that gets the customer number as the import parameter. You also specify the container element that gets the credit limit as the export parameter.

To connect to business intelligence, from the process container transfer a configurable parameter of type Adapter as the import parameter to the mapping program. You can process the result from business intelligence further in the mapping program and then return it to the process.

More information:

Parameterized Mapping Programs

Mapping Lookups

Defining Configurable Parameters

Activities
  1. In the Enterprise Services Repository, define an operation mapping with the relevant mapping programs.

    More information: Multi-Mappings

    The Business Process Engine always uses the most up-to-date version of the mapping.

  2. Specify the operation mapping in the attributes for the transformation step.

    Depending on the operation mapping that you specify, the relevant source and target messages are displayed.

  3. For each source or target message, specify the container element that contains the message reference or that the message reference is to be written to.
  4. If parameters are defined for the mapping, enter the relevant container elements that get the input parameters or that the export parameters are written to:
    1. Enter the container elements that get the values for the input parameters of the mapping under Import.
    2. Enter the container elements that the values of the export parameters of the mapping are written to under Export.
Example