Message Definitions
Introduction
Message definitions define the structure of the messages that are sent from and to your app. Defining your messages allows you to create import and export mappings for them.
A message definition can be used for both JSON and XML and can be used for both single objects and lists of objects.
Adding a Message Definition Document
A message definition is a type of document you can add to modules in your app. Each document contains a single message definition.
To add a message definition document, do the following:
- Right-click your module or a folder within a module.
- Choose Add other > Message definition.
- Give your message definition a name and click OK.
The name of the document is the name of the message definition.
Defining a Message Definition
To define a message definition, open its document.
General
The message definition is defined in the General tab.
Entity
An entity in your app domain model (or models) on which to base the message definition. Using this message definition, you can export and import individual objects and lists of objects of this entity type.
Structure
The structure tree shows the attributes and some of the associations of the entity. Use Search to find specific attributes.
| Column | Description | Can edit? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkbox | Check if the attribute or association is part of the message. | y | |
| Name | The name of the item in the domain model. | n | |
| Type | The type of the item in the domain model. | n | |
| Occurrence | How many times this item can occur for each parent item. | n | |
| External Name | The name of the XML node or the JSON property. | y | By default, the name of the attribute or (for associations) entity. For a 0..* occurrence, a letter s is added. |
| External Single Item Name | The XML node that represents a single item. | y | Only relevant for XML when the occurrence is 0..*By default, the entity name. |
| Example Value | A typical value for an attribute. | y | For a published REST service, this value shows up in the interactive documentation. A date/time value is specified in the format year-month-day or year-month-day hour:minute:second. |
| Public Documentation | Additional information to be displayed in the interactive documentation. | y |
Generate Mapping(s)
The Generate mapping(s) button allows you to generate import and/or export mapping documents from the message definition. The mappings are added to your module.
To generate mappings, do the following:
-
Click Generate mapping(s).
-
Ensure that the required mapping (or mappings) is selected.
-
Click OK.
Documentation
Use the Documentation tab to describe what the message definition is used for.