Using a data handler is optional. If you have designed a data handler into your connector architecture, the connector requires access to any data handler classes needed to convert business object values to enterprise bean parameters (as specified in the EJB ASI). An enterprise bean method can take an XML, EDI or other WBI data handler-supported document as an argument to a remote EJB method.
When the connector receives a business object, it will evaluate the business object ASI to determine if the business object needs to be converted into data using the data handler. The business object ASI for a data handler-supported message should contain the value object_type=dataHandlerObject; mime_type=<text_value> where <text_value> is the appropriate mime-type defined for the data handler (as specified in the data handler meta-object) that the adapter should use to convert the data.
If the connector finds a method business object with a data handler-supported document as a parameter, then the connector calls the data handler to convert the business object to the corresponding document, and then invokes a remote enterprise bean method by passing the document generated by the data handler as an argument to the method. Similarly if a method returns a document that must be processed using the data handler, the connector converts the String returned by the method into a business object using data handler values. For example, if an enterprise bean method returns an XML or EDI document, the data handler must be invoked to convert it into a child business object.
To support a data handler, you must configure the DataHandlerConfigMO connector-specific property. For details about this and other connector-specific properties, see Connector-specific properties. For details about developing a data handler, see the Data Handler Guide.