Adapter Development Kit 9.12 | webMethods Adapter Development Kit Documentation | webMethods Adapter Development Kit Installation and User’s Documentation | Adapter Services | Metadata Model for Adapter Services
 
Metadata Model for Adapter Services
 
Metadata Parameter Groups, FieldMaps and Tuples
Resource Domains
Field Maps with Resource Domain Dependencies
Adapter Service Node Signatures
Adapter Service Execution
The following sections describe the basics of the metadata model for adapter services.
Metadata Parameters for Adapter Services
Metadata parameters for adapter services use the same model that connections use.
*The restriction on sequence parameters (arrays) does not apply to adapter services. The adapter service editor supports widgets that allow the users of the adapter to view and manipulate array values in several ways, as described in the next section.
*Providing default values to parameters through a "get" method is not as valuable in the context of adapter services. This functionality is largely replaced by the use of resource domains. Some functionalities, such as the specification of the run time signature of the service, require values to be provided through the resource domain facilities. For more information, see Resource Domains.
For more information, see Metadata Model for Connection.
WmTemplateDescriptor Interface
The WmTemplateDescriptor interface extends the com.wm.adk.metadata.WmDescriptor interface. The WmTemplateDescriptor controls how metadata parameters appear, and defines rules for data entry. Include the method fillWmTemplateDescriptor in your adapter service to populate WmTemplateDescriptor.
Important:
Do not call the base class version of the method (by calling super()).
WmTemplateDescriptor introduces new methods and concepts. In addition, it also modifies the behavior of some of the methods inherited from WmDescriptor.
WmDescriptor Methods
Method
Description
createGroup
Specifies the order in which parameters must appear in Designer. Unlike with connections, you can create multiple groups for adapter services. Each group corresponds to a tab in the adapter service editor, with the group name becoming the key. The key is used to identify the display name. Each group has a resource bundle entry that provides the display name shown on the screen. Group names are only displayed if you do not provide a display name in your resource bundle.
Parameters can be assigned to only one group. If some or all of a service's metadata parameters are not assigned to a group, a default group is created and the unassigned parameters are added to it. This is true even if the parameter is hidden. Each group can have a display name and a description specified in the resource bundle.
setValidValues
Use the resource domain facilities (recommended) instead of this method. For more information, see Resource Domains.
setPassword
Displays asterisks when the users of the adapter enter passwords.
Note:
The adapter service editor does not support the automated password confirmation facilities described for connections.
setDescriptions
Searches the resource bundle for display names, and descriptions for the service, metadata parameters, and any groups that have been created at the point setDescriptions is called. If you want group display fields to be loaded from the resource bundle, call setDescriptions at the end of the fillWmTemplateDescriptor implementation.
setHidden
Designates properties as hidden. A hidden property does not appear in the adapter service editor.
Note:
Some of these methods have implicit order requirements because the methods build on the activities performed in previous method calls.
By default, the adapter service editor displays each metadata parameter in its own widget, based on the parameter's data type. These widgets include:
Widget
Data Type
Text box
String parameter
Table widget
Array
Check box
Boolean
A text box with scrollable values
Numeric
Use the following WmTemplateDescriptor methods to modify and enhance the default behavior.
WmTemplateDescriptor Methods
Method
Description
createFieldMap
Organizes parameters into columns of a single table widget.
createTuple
Grouping mechanism that you can use to modify the behavior of a resource domain lookup, and how resource domain values are applied in a field map.
setMultiline
Changes the widget from a standard text box to a multi-line text box. This widget also supports text import from files. The resulting parameter value may include embedded returns.
setResourceDomain
Associates a metadata parameter of an adapter service with a resource domain supported by the service's connection.
For more information about FieldMaps and Tuples, see FieldMaps, Tuples.
For more information about setting resource domains, see Resource Domains and Associating Metadata Parameters with Resource Domains.
Order of WmTemplateDescriptor and WmDescriptor Methods Called
Some of these methods have implicit order requirements because they build on activities performed in the previous methods calls. For example, call setDescriptions after the final call to createGroup so that the resource bundle lookups can include all groups defined in the service. Use the calls in the following order:
1. createGroup
2. createFieldMap
3. createTuple
4. setResourceDomain
5. setDescriptions
Note:
If you create tuples, make setResourceDomain calls for tuple parameters in the order in which the parameters are set in the tuple.