Message mappers

A message mapper is a mechanism that takes an XML message and converts it to a CommandProperty object. It provides a common interface so that messages can be converted to CommandProperty objects and used by all WebSphere Commerce components. 

Supported adapters, such as the Program Adapter, and WebSphere Commerce components can both call a message mapper. For both, the message mapper performs the following tasks:

Inbound messages are sent to WebSphere Commerce by back-end systems or external systems to request some sort of action. In order for WebSphere Commerce to perform that action, the XML message must be processed by the message mapper to determine what action has been requested. WebSphere Commerce includes two message mappers at installation: the XML message mapper for parsing XML integration messages, and the legacy message mapper for parsing back-end integration legacy messages.

The CommandProperty object represents a WebSphere Commerce command to accommodate the requirements from the supported device adapters. Other components can also use the message mapper mechanism to convert messages to CommandProperty objects. 

The lifecycle of a message mapper exists throughout the WebSphere Commerce instance. It is initialized when an instance is started and it resides as long as the instance runs.