Typing Service

The Typing service replaces specified required and optional parameters into process data. It can identify the correct map to translate a document into XML.

The following table provides an overview of the Typing service:

Category Description
System name TypingServiceType
Graphical Process Modeler (GPM) categories All Services, Translation
Description Replaces specified required and optional parameters into process data. It also can identify the correct map to translate a document into XML.
Preconfigured? Yes
Requires third-party files? No
Platform availability All supported Sterling B2B Integrator platforms
Related services No
Application requirements No
Invocation Runs as part of a business process.

How the Typing Service Works

The Typing service uses the first map from a set of maps that:
  • Are valid translation objects (end with .txo)
  • Have an XML output side
  • Are checked in to Sterling B2B Integrator
  • Are enabled in Sterling B2B Integrator

The Typing service has a list of required and optional parameters that it searches for in the translated document. If all required parameters are present, the service is complete. If all required parameters are not present, the Typing service uses the next map in the list and translates the primary document. The service uses each map until one of them produces a translation that provides all the required parameters from the primary document. When the service has all of the required parameters, it places the values of the parameters into process data for use by other services.

The following steps summarize how the Typing service works in a business process:
  1. The Typing service runs the translator to find pertinent pieces of data from an input file (used for routing and decisions later in the process).
  2. The translator loads this data into a Document Object Model (DOM), and the Typing service harness takes the data from the DOM and places it into the business process context.
    Note: If the input document character encoding is specified in Sterling B2B Integrator, it overrides the encoding specified in the map. The output document content type and character encoding are set according to the information in the map.

Implementing the Typing Service

To implement the Typing service, complete the following tasks:
  1. Activate your license for the Typing service. For information, see Managing Services and Adapters.
  2. Create a Typing service configuration. For information, see Managing Services and Adapters.
  3. Configuring the Typing service. For information, see Configuring the Typing Service.
  4. Use the Typing service in a business process.

Configuring the Typing Service

To configure the Typing service, you must specify settings for the following fields in the GPM:

Field Description
Config Name of the service configuration.
edi_input_decimal_separator Character used to indicate the decimal point on the input side.
edi_input_element_delimiter Character used to delimit elements (fields) on the input side.
edi_input_release_character Character used to quote elements (fields) that contain the delimiter on the input side.
edi_input_repeating_element_delimiter Character used to delimit repeating elements on the input side.
edi_input_segment_delimiter Character used to delimit segments on the input side.
edi_input_sub_element_delimiter Character used to delimit subelements on the input side.
edi_input_tag_delimiter Character used to delimit tags on the input side.
optional_parmlist Space delimited list of parameters that may be present in the primary document when it is translated by the service. Optional.
required_parmlist Space-delimited list of parameters that are required to be present in the primary document when it is translated by the service. Generally, these parameters represent the names of XML elements present in the XML output document after a successful translation of the primary document. If these parameters are not all found in the primary document, the Typing service tries the next map in the list (typing maplist) until one of the maps produces a translated document that has all of the required fields. Required.
typing_maplist Space-delimited list of typing service maps (.txo maps with XML on the output side that have been checked into Sterling B2B Integrator and enabled). Required.
validate_input_against_dtd Validates the input to the DTD specified in the input document. Valid values are No validation, Validate using a DTD, and Validate using an XML schema.