IDL Extraction from Integration Server

Integration Server services (e.g. flow services) can be called from an RPC client, using an adapter listener. To create a listener you need a Software AG IDL file, which describes the call interface (signature) of the Integration Server service. This IDL file can be created automatically using the IDL Extractor for Integration Server, a component of the EntireX Workbench that reads a package from the Integration Server and generates an IDL file from all services contained in the package.

As an alternative, you can create an IDL file from a specified subset of Integration Server services, using service pub.wmentirex.listener:generateIDLfromService from the WmEntireX package. This alternative is described below, along with an overview of data type mapping relevant for both approaches.

Using the Service pub.wmentirex.listener:generateIDLfromService

Service pub.wmentirex.listener:generateIDLfromService generates an IDL file for a given list of Integration Server services. For each service, a program in the IDL file is created. If the IDL file already exists, it is extended with the newly created program definitions. Duplicate definitions for the same program are possible. In this case, the IDL file has to be corrected manually. Note that this service creates/updates only the IDL file. Creating or updating a listener with the definitions of the IDL file has to be done with webMethods Integration Server Wrapper of the EntireX Workbench. The following parameters are relevant. Parameter direction can be In or Out:

Parameter I/O Description
serviceName String I The full name of the Integration Server service (e.g. folder1.folder2:service). Multiple services can be specified using a semicolon (;) as delimiter.
fileName String I The name of the IDL file (with extension ".idl"). You cannot specify a folder name. The file is created in the folder <IntegrationServer_instance>/packages/WmEntireX/resources.
libraryName String I The library name to be used in the IDL file. If the IDL file already exists, this parameter is ignored.
stringType String I The IDL data type which is used for string data types. Possible values are AV, AVn, or An. This parameter is optional, default is AV.
language String I The target language for the RPC clients. Possible values are COBOL, Natural, PL/I, or Other.
result String O Either a success message if the generation was successful (which includes the full pathname of the IDL file) or an error message.

Integration Server Data Types to IDL Mapping

The signature of an Integration Server service specifies the data types for the parameters of the service. There are three data types: String, Record and Object. Parameters of type String are mapped to an IDL alphanumeric data type, parameters of type Record to IDL groups. Parameters of type Object cannot be mapped to an IDL data type and thus result in an error. If such an error occurs, the IDL program which contains the invalid data type mapping is written to the IDL file, however, all lines are comments. Starting with version 9.12 Fix 1 of the EntireX Adapter a subset of the Java Wrapper types are mapped to IDL types. This subset has been chosen so it is compatible to the JSON data type mapping in Integration Server.

Integration Server Object Type
Java Wrapper Types 		Software AG IDL Data Type
Adapter Version 9.12 Fix 1 or higher Adapter Version 9.12 or lower
java.lang.String See table below See table below
java.lang.Long N19 error
java.lang.Integer I4 error
java.lang.Float F4 error
java.lang.Double F8 error
java.lang.Boolean L error
byte[] BV, BV256 (depending on target language) error
No wrapper type Error; or BV, BV256 if extracting from EntireX Adapter Service(1) Error; or BV, BV256 if extracting from EntireX Adapter Service(1)

(1) Starting with version 9.7, a parameter of an EntireX Adapter service of type Object is mapped to an IDL binary data type. Depending on the target language, it is either mapped to BV (for Natural and Other) or to BV256 (for COBOL and PL/I).

All parameters of type String are mapped to an IDL alphanumeric data type, available as variable (AV, AVn) or fixed (An) length. Which alphanumeric type is used is specified in the wizard page of the IDL Extractor for Integration Server or as a parameter of the generation service.

Parameters of type String may have an associated context type which is specified in the constraints of the parameter's properties. This content type influences the data type mapping. The content type was already considered in previous versions of the EntireX Adapter (version 9.6 or lower). However, its usage was not documented and the mapping was not yet complete. The handling of the content type was reworked with version 9.7. The following table shows both the new and the old mapping. The new mapping is different from the old one. If you want to use the old mapping with version 9.7 or higher, set watt.com.softwareag.entirex.wmadapter.extractor.contenttype.handling.pre97=true under Settings > Extended on the Integration Server administration page.

Integration Server Content Type Software AG IDL Data Type
Adapter Version 9.7 or higher Adapter Version 9.6 or lower
boolean L Logical L Logical
decimal Nx, Nx.y or An, AV, AVn Unpacked decimal or Alphanumeric (1) N10.2 Unpacked decimal
float F4 Floating point (small) F4 Floating point (small)
double F8 Floating point (large) F8 Floating point (large)
Date An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2) D Date
dateTime An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2) T Time
base64Binary An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2) BV Binary variable length
byte I1 Integer (small) I1 Integer (small)
unsignedByte NU3 Unpacked decimal unsigned I1 Integer (small)
short I2 Integer (medium) I2 Integer (medium)
unsignedShort NU5 Unpacked decimal unsigned I2 Integer (medium)
int I4 Integer (large) I4 Integer (large)
unsignedInt NU10 Unpacked decimal unsigned I4 Integer (large)
long N19 Unpacked decimal An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)
unsignedLong NU20 Unpacked decimal unsigned An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)
integer N29 Unpacked decimal An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)
positiveInteger NU29 Unpacked decimal unsigned An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)
nonPositiveInteger N29 Unpacked decimal An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)
negativeInteger N29 Unpacked decimal An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)
nonNegativeInteger NU29 Unpacked decimal unsigned An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)
string An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (3) An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)
all others An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2) An, AV, AVn Alphanumeric (2)

Notes:

  1. If the content type specifies a total number of digits and a number of fraction digits, then Nx.y is used. If only a total number of digits is specified, then Nx is used. If no total number of digits is specified, or the total number exceeds the maximum allowed value, or the number of fraction digits exceeds the maximum allowed value, then a string according to (2) is used. The maximum allowed value for the total number of digits is 29, for COBOL it is 31. The maximum allowed value for the number of fraction digits is 7, for COBOL it is 31 and for Natural it is 29.
  2. Depending on what is specified in the wizard page of the IDL Extractor for Integration Server or as a parameter of the generation service, the IDL data type AV, AVn or An is used.
  3. If the content type specifies a length len, then Alen is used. If the content type specifies a maximum length max, then AVmax or Amax is used, see (2) for the choice between A versus Av. If neither length nor maximum length is specified, the choice is the same as in (2).