Example: Changing a date format

This example illustrates how to use Activity Editor to change a source attribute's date format and assign the reformatted value to a destination attribute. In this example, the source attribute is QuoteSchedule.ExpireDate and the destination attribute is Invoice.PostingDate. The original date format is yyyyMMdd, and the updated date format is yyyy-MM-dd. This example assumes that the business objects and attributes have already been created and declared in the collaboration template scenario.

The following steps are required to change the source attribute's date format and then assign it to the destination attribute:

  1. Ensure that Activity Editor is open.
  2. Drag the QuoteSchedule.ExpireDate variable function block onto the editing canvas and drop it. (The function blocks that represent the business objects, attributes, and variables available in a scenario are located in the Variables folder of the Library and Content windows.)
  3. Drag and drop the Format Change function block onto the editing canvas to the right of the QuoteSchedule.ExpireDate function block, as shown in Figure 45.

    Figure 45. Placing the Format Change function block


  4. Place a connection link between the output port of the QuoteSchedule.ExpireDate function block and the Date input of the Format Change function block.
  5. Drag and drop the yyyyMMdd function block constant onto the editing canvas, placing it underneath the QuoteSchedule.ExpireDate and Format Change function blocks. This function block represents the current format of the QuoteSchedule.ExpireDate attribute.
  6. Place a connection link between the output port of the yyyyMMdd function block and the Input Format input of the Format Change function block, as shown in Figure 48.

    Figure 46. Specifying the input date format


  7. Drag and drop the yyyy-MM-dd function block constant onto the editing canvas, placing it near the yyyyMMdd function block. This function block represents the new format of the QuoteSchedule.ExpireDate attribute.
  8. Place a connection link between the output port of the yyyy-MM-dd function block and the Output Format input of the Format Change function block, as shown in Figure 48.

    Figure 47. Specifying the output date format


  9. Drag and drop the Invoice.PostingDate function block to the editing canvas; this is the destination attribute. Place it to the right of the Format Change function block.
  10. To assign the output of the Format Change function block to the Invoice.PostingDate attribute, place a connection link between the Format Change function block output port and the Invoice.PostingDate input port as shown in Figure 48.

    Figure 48. Assigning output to the destination attribute


  11. Save the activity definition by clicking File --> Save.

Copyright IBM Corp. 2003, 2004