Business object meta-data

The connector for web services is a meta-data-driven connector. In business objects, meta-data is data about the application, which is stored in a business object definition and which helps the connector interact with an application. A meta-data-driven connector handles each business object that it supports based on meta-data encoded in the business object definition rather than on instructions hard-coded in the connector.

Business object meta-data includes the structure of a business object, the settings of its attribute properties, and the content of its application-specific information. Because the connector is meta-data-driven, it can handle new or modified business objects without requiring modifications to the connector code. However, the connector's configured data handler makes assumptions about the structure of its business objects, object cardinality, the format of the application-specific text, and the database representation of the business object. Therefore, when you create or modify a business object for web services, your modifications must conform to the rules the connector is designed to follow, or the connector cannot process new or modified business objects correctly.

For more information on meta-data, meta-objects, and their configuration and interaction with business objects and SOAP messages, see SOAP data handler.

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