Message sets

A message set is a container for grouping messages and associated message resources (elements, types, groups).

A message set is a folder in a message set project that contains a messageSet.mset file. The name of the folder is the name of the message set. A message set project can contain just one message set.

A message set is created whenever you create a new message set project. If you already have an empty message set project, you can create a message set in it using the New Message Set wizard.

You can base your new message set on an existing message set. If you do so, all the definitions in the existing message set are copied into the new message set.

When you have created your message set, you must specify two key properties:
Runtime Parser
The message domain of the message set. This is used when parsing and writing all messages defined within that message set and effectively defines the message domain. See Which message domain and format to use?.
Use Namespaces
Indicates whether the message definitions you create within the message set are XML namespace aware. See Namespaces in the message model.

Message set resources

Resources within a message set are created as files, and are displayed under the message set folder in the Navigator view:

When you have completed the resources in your message set, you can generate the message set in a form that can be used by an application. This could be:

See Generate model representations.

Message set identification

As well as having a name, provided by the folder, a message set also has an identifier. This is a generated string of 13 characters that uniquely identifies the message set. You can use either the name or the identifier interchangeably whenever you need to specify the message set to a runtime product such as WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker (for example, in an MQRFH2 message header).

Although the name is more readable, the identifier is guaranteed to be unique and is intended for use where you do not have control over the names of the message sets you are using.

Message set recommendations

You can have as many message definition files as you want within one message set. But you should limit your message sets to a few related message definition files that share the same physical formats. There are several reasons for this:

IBM Supplied Message Sets

A collection of predefined, read-only message sets that model the headers used by WebSphere MQ messages are supplied. These are useful if you are referencing fields in these headers in WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker message flows.
MQWIH WebSphere MQ work information header
MQCIH WebSphere MQ CICS bridge header
MQRFH WebSphere MQ rules and formatting header
MQRFH2 WebSphere MQ rules and formatting header - version 2
MQDLH WebSphere MQ dead letter header
MQSAPH WebSphere MQ link for R/3 header
MQMD WebSphere MQ message descriptor
MQIIH WebSphere MQ IMS information header
SMQ_BMH WebSphere MQ link for R/3 bad message header
MQMDE WebSphere MQ message descriptor extension
MQRMH WebSphere MQ message reference header
MQCFH WebSphere MQ programmable command formats header