XML response processing

Stabilized feature: Service Flow Runtime and Service Flow Modeler capability in IBM Developer for z/OS 14.2.3 are stabilized. Consider exposing and orchestrating applications as API services by using z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition or CICS® web services, or by writing web applications in Java or Node.js. See also Stabilization notices and discontinued functions.

At run time, XML response processing is initiated when the server adapter passes the reply data from the CICS target application to the CICS SFR interface program DFHMADPL.

DFHMADPL constructs a reply consistent with the format of the request message. When the request message is an XML document that is, the header is in XML format), the reply is a complete XML document. When only the application data is XML, the reply is constructed with a standard format header and the application data as an XML document.

DFHMADPL constructs a response by performing the following steps:
  1. Invokes the COBOL to XML converter program to convert the application data. The purpose of this program is to place the proper XML tags around the application data that resides in the response message. For example:
    <dfhmaad>
Application data from response message
</dfhmaad>
    The COBOL to XML converter program is a user-defined program that you define in the model of the service flow. If you do not provide a converter program for the reply message, the application data is returned in COBOL. If DFHMADPL fails to invoke the converter program, an error is returned to the service requester.
  2. Calls the COBOL to XML converter program DFHMAXMO. DFHMAXMO performs the following steps:
    1. Converts the structure of the header in the response message from COBOL to an XML format.
    2. Places the XML declaration at the top of the XML message. The XML declaration was saved by the converter program DFHMAXMI on the inbound request.
    3. Takes the reply data formatted by the user-defined COBOL to XML converter program and converts it to XML.
    4. Reports any errors it encounters to the CICS system log, under the CEEMSG section. An error is returned to the service requester.