DataObject domain

IBM® Integration Bus uses the DataObject parser to read and write messages that belong to the DataObject domain.

You must use the DataObject domain when you use the WebSphere® Adapter nodes in your message flow. IBM Integration Bus uses the DataObject parser to read and write messages, or business objects, from Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) such as SAP. The DataObject parser uses either XML schema files (.xsd) from an IBM Integration Bus library, or message definitions in a message set when reading and writing messages. A message definition (.mxsd) file is an annotated XML schema file.

The TX Map node can consume and create messages in the DataObject domain.

To create a message flow that uses the TX Map node to create or consume messages in the DataObject domain, do the following steps within the IBM Integration Toolkit:

  1. In the IBM Integration Development perspective, use the Adapter Connection wizard to model the business object as either:
    • A global element in an XML schema file (.xsd) within a broker library
    • A message in a message definition (.mxsd) file, within a broker message set
    For detailed instructions, see the IBM Integration Bus product documentation.
  2. In the Transformation Extender Development perspective, use Map Designer to create a map, and add input or output cards as required. In the New Card dialog, select the message definition (.mxsd) file or the XML schema (.xsd) file as the Type tree, and the group corresponding to the business object message as the Type.
  3. Switch to the IBM Integration Development perspective. Create a message flow that contains a TX Map node that uses your map.
    1. If the message is consumed by an input card, configure the input node of the message flow to specify the Message Domain as DataObject.
    2. If the message is created by an output card, configure the corresponding TX Map node output terminal to specify the Message Domain as DataObject. Set the Encoding and Coded Char Set ID properties to match the byte order (endianness) and the character set of the output data from the map.
  4. Complete the message flow and deploy it to the broker, along with the message set.
If the message is to be consumed by an input card, at run time the input node of the message flow starts the DataObject parser. The DataObject parser uses the XML schema or the message set to create a message tree from the EIS business object. The TX Map node receives the DataObject domain message tree and passes it to the input card. The map uses the tree directly when it runs.

If the message is to be created by an output card, at run time the map creates the DataObject domain message tree directly. The TX Map node propagates the message tree to the next node in the message flow. The output node of the message flow starts the DataObject parser, which uses the XML schema or the message set to create the EIS business object.

You do not have to create an equivalent type tree for the business object message. The map is built with the message definition file. At run time, the map operates directly on the DataObject domain message tree, and not on a bit stream.