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How do I design and develop a message model?
New users: how to design and create message models.
If the format of the messages that you want to use with your applications is not self-defining, you must create a message model that defines the structure of your messages. If your messages are self-defining, you might want to create a message model to take advantage of runtime validation of messages, reuse of messages, automatic generation of documentation, and code completion on the message structure when you use ESQL. If you want to use message mapping, you must also create a message model for your messages.
You can obtain prebuilt models for common industry standard message formats such as SWIFT, EDIFACT, X12, FIX, HL7, and TLOG to use with WebSphere® Message Broker. You can also create message models from C header files, COBOL copybooks, XML Schema and DTDs, and WSDL files. Alternatively, you can use the Message Definition editor to create your own message models.
For further information, read the logical and physical message structure sections in What do I need to know to start developing applications?.
What are the components of a message model?
Use the links in this section to learn how to create and configure message set projects and message set files.
- Use the following links to learn about the different components
that are used to build a message model:
- What is a message set project?
A message set project is a container in which you create and maintain all of the resources that are associated with a single message set. A message set can contain one or more message models.
- What is a message set?
A message set is a logical grouping of messages and the objects that comprise them (elements, types, and groups). A message set can contain one message set file, message definition files, and message category files.
- What is a message definition file?
A message definition file contains the messages, elements, types, and groups that make up a message model. The message definition file contains the logical model and associated physical model in XML Schema form for a group of related messages.
- What is a message model object?
Get an overview of the objects that make up a message model.
- What is a message category?
You can use message categories to group your messages for documentation purposes.
- What is a multipart message?
You can define a message that contains one or more embedded messages within its structure.
- How can I control the number of occurrences
of an element or attribute in a message?
You can define a message that contains repeating, optional, and mandatory elements.
- What is a message set project?
How do I create and configure a message model?
- How can I use the Quick Start wizards to help create resources? You can use the Quick Start wizards to help you to create a message model and to set up the resources that you require to develop a WebSphere Message Broker application.
- How do I create a message set? You must create a message set before you can add any content to your message model. When you create a message set, a message set project is also created.
- How do I configure a message set file?
After you have created a message set, you must configure the logical and physical properties of the message set. You can use the Message set editor to configure the properties of a message set. See Message set editor.
- How do I configure the logical properties of my message set? Learn how to configure logical properties of a message set.
- How do I configure the physical formats of my message set? Learn how to add and configure different physical format layers in a message set.
- How do I create a message definition file? You must create a message definition file before you can create the message model objects. You can use the New message definition file wizard to create an empty message definition file, or you can populate a message definition by using existing application message formats by importing data structures. See Message Sets: New message definition file wizards and Message Sets: Working with data structures.
- How do I configure the properties of my message definition files? When you have created a message definition file, you can configure the message definition file properties described in this topic by using the Message Definition editor. See Message Definition editor.
- How do I add and configure message model objects?
When
you have created a message definition file you can add message model
objects to your message definition file, to define the structure of
your message. You can also add objects to existing message definition
files. You must then configure the logical, physical, and other properties
of the message model objects.
- How do I add message model objects? Follow this link to learn how to add different message model objects to a message definition file.
- How do I configure message model objects? Follow this link to learn how to configure message model objects.
- What properties do message model objects have? Follow this link to get reference information about logical, physical, and documentation properties for all types of message model objects.
- How do I create a multipart message? You can create a message model that includes a multipart (embedded) message. Use this link to learn how to create a multipart message.
- How do I link from one message definition file to another? Follow this link to learn how to link one message definition file to another.
- How are namespaces used in the message
model?
Objects in the message model such as elements, attributes, types, and groups are identified by their name. No two objects in the same scope are allowed to have the same name. If namespaces are enabled for a message set, each message definition file within it can specify a namespace. Global objects within namespaces can share the same name, therefore namespaces provide a way to avoid name clashes between objects.
How do I manage my message models?
Learn about how to manage your message models:
- How do I generate model representations from message models? When you have created and populated a message set, you can generate a message model in different representations for use both by WebSphere Message Broker and your applications. Use the following links to learn about the types of model representations that you can generate from your message models:
- How do I configure message set preferences? Follow this link to learn how to make changes to preferences that relate to message set processing.
- How do I change my viewing preferences for message model editors? You can change your viewing preferences for the Message Set editor and the Message Definition editor, to make it easier to view message definition files.