Reply system function
Use the Reply system function to send a response to a request previously accepted through a Receive system function. The reply message will be sent to the Invoke step.
To specify a Reply system function
- From the Web Services Palette, drag a Reply step onto the workflow map where you want to send a reply message related to a previous Receive system function. Note that if you use a system step instead of a pre-defined Reply step, you can include the Reply system function in the same system step as the Receive.
- On the Reply General tab, select the Partner Link used in the related Receive system instruction.
- Select the operation specified in the related Receive system instruction.
- Specify one of the message types: Message or Fault. (If you have a Reply step in the workflow, you must specify either a message or a fault message for the reply.)
Message
- If the related Receive step uses parameter mode, specify one or more parameters and appropriate data field expressions for the reply message.
Choose one of the following options to specify the expression.
- <undefined> - The expression for this parameter is not defined. It must be defined prior to transfer to the Process Engine.
- <Create parameter_name> - Choose this option to automatically create a field of the appropriate type with the same name as the parameter. This option should be used only if an appropriate field does not already exist.
NOTE If the <Create parameter_name> option is not available, a field with the parameter name might already exist, or the parameter name might result in an invalid field name, such as a reserved word.
- <Build Expression...> - Choose this option to open the Expression Builder dialog box and define an expression using data fields, attachments, system fields, functions, and operators.
- Existing fields of the matching data type - Choose one of these, as appropriate.
NOTE Parameter names must not contain numbers, special characters, or spaces.
- If the related Receive step uses XML mode, select a previously defined schema and element, then click Create Message Template to display the template version of the schema.
Note that you can use any schema for the Reply.
Edit the outgoing message to replace placeholders with previously defined data expressions.
NOTE Any field of a type other than string must be converted to a string in the message. You can use convert(fieldname,string).
Fault
- Specify a fault name.
- Enter the outgoing message—a double-quoted string literal, a string variable, an XML data field.
NOTE You can have more than one Reply step corresponding to a Receive step. For example, you might have a message indicating 'success', and one or more Reply steps indicating faults. You can have only one message, but you can have more than one fault. If you define a Reply step as a fault, there must also be a related Reply step with a message.
Correlation set
In XML mode, you can specify one or more properties that will be used to identify a runtime conversation between two processes. For example, with Web Services involving purchase orders, there might be several exchanges of messages between the buyer and the seller, so you need to ensure that each message stays with the appropriate conversation. (If you are using Parameter mode, the Correlation Set tab is available for Receive, but not for Invoke or Reply.)
- On the Correlation Set tab, specify a name for this correlation set.
- Under Properties, specify a name and the XPath Query to the appropriate element in the schema. You can specify more than one name/XPath Query pair to define the correlation expression. For example, you might use a combination of an account number and an invoice number.
When you specify a correlation set for Reply, the F_Corr<Correlation_Set_Name> field is set to the value specified by the XPath query.
See Web Services - correlation example for sample workflows showing Reply steps using both parameter mode and XML mode.