Entering Input for a Service

Application Integration (On-Premises) : Service Development : Running Services : Supplying Input Values to a Service : Entering Input for a Service

Specifying a Value for a String Variable

Specifying Values for a String List Variable

Specifying Values for a String Table Variable

Specifying Values for a Document Variable that Has Defined Content

Specifying Values for a Document Variable with No Defined Content

Specifying Values for a Document List Variable

Specifying a Value for an Object Variable

Specifying Values for an Object List Variable

When you create a launch configuration for a service, run a service, or debug a service Designer displays a screen for specifying input values for the variables in the service’s input signature. Designer validates the input values you specify. If specified values do not match the input parameter data type, Designer displays a message to that effect.

Although you can specify input values for most input variables, you cannot specify input values for:

Document List variables that have no defined content

Object variables constrained as a byte [ ]

Unconstrained Objects (Objects of unknown type)

If the inputs to the service contain one of these variables for which you cannot specify input, to test the service create another service that generates the input values for the service. Then construct a test harness, which is a flow service that executes both the service that generates the test input values and the service you want to test. Finally, to test the service, execute the test harness.

To enter input values for a service

1. Do one of the following to display a window for providing inputs:

Open an IS Service launch configuration to run a service as described in Creating a Launch Configuration for Running a Service.

Run a service as described in Running a Service.

Open an IS Service launch configuration to debug a flow service as described in Creating Launch Configurations for Debugging Flow Services.

Launch a Java class in debug mode as described in Debugging a Java Service while its Class Runs in Designer .

2. If you are working with a launch configuration, select the Input tab to display the screen you use to specify input.

Note:

If you are running or debugging the service, Designer displays the Enter Input for serviceName dialog box that you use to specify input.

3. To load input values from a file, do one of the following:

If you want to use inputs that match the structure of the service input signature, on the Input tab click Load.

If you want the data structure of the input values in a file to overwrite the structure of the service input signature, click Load and Replace.

4. Select or clear the Include empty values for String Types check box to indicate how to handle variables that have no value.

If you want to use an empty String (i.e., a String with a zero-length), select the Include empty values for String Types check box. Also note that Document Lists that have defined elements will be part of the input, but they will be empty.

If you want to use a null value for the empty Strings, clear the check box. String-type variables will not included in the input document.

Note:

The setting applies to all String-type variables in the root document of the input signature. The setting does not apply to String-type variables within Document Lists. You define how you want to handle String-type variables within Document Lists separately when you assign values to Document Lists variables. For more information, see Specifying Values for a Document List Variable.

5. Enter values for the input variables. For specific information for how to specify a value based on a variable’s data type, see one of the following:

For this type of variable...	See...
String	Specifying a Value for a String Variable
String List	Specifying Values for a String List Variable
String Table	Specifying Values for a String Table Variable
Document Document Reference	Specifying Values for a Document Variable that Has Defined Content or Specifying Values for a Document Variable with No Defined Content
Document List Document Reference List	Specifying Values for a Document List Variable
Object	Specifying a Value for an Object Variable
Object List	Specifying Values for an Object List Variable

6. To save the input values to a file for use in later debugging, click Save or Save Inputs. In the Save As dialog box, specify the name and location of the file to which you want the values saved. Click Save.