XML request and response processing

Start of changeIt is recommended that you useWebSphere® Developer for System z® or the CICS Web services assistant as the strategic method for parsing modeled requests. This approach provides XML parsing and generation for both the request header and body.End of change

Start of changeThe CICS Web services assistant is described in detail in the CICS Web Services Guide and can be found in the CICS TS 3.1 Information Center on the Internet at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cicsts31/index.jsp. For information on using the tooling to perform XML processing, see the WebSphere Developer for System z help that is provided with the tool.End of change

For backwards compatibility, CICS® Service Flow Runtime provides an internal XML parsing function, which is a nonstrategic capability.

XML request and response support consists of two main functions:

  1. The XML parse function parses an inbound XML request message and map XML items to a fixed format COMMAREA. See XML message formats for a sample of a request message in XML format.
  2. The XML generate function generates an XML response message from a fixed format COMMAREA.
Figure 1. XML request and response processing
Diagram shows an XML request message flowing into the CICS Service Flow Runtime, where it is being converted to a fixed format request message for processing. On the return response message, the diagram shows a fixed format response message being converted to an XML response message and being returned as an XML response message to the service requestor.
In the runtime environment, the processing associated with XML request and response messages varies according to how the service requestor incorporates the XML into the request message. The request message can be divided into two main parts as follows:
The following table indicates the message composition formats for XML requests, and whether or not the runtime environment will support the message composition format:
Table 1. Supported XML Message Composition
XML location Supported Yes or No?
In the message header and in the application data Yes
In the application data only Yes
In the message header only No

For more information on the structure requirements of the request message, see Request message headers.

See XML message formats for non-passthrough for samples of XML message formats for non passthrough requests.