This topic contains sections marked as revised for this release
New users: use the links in this topic to find out how to design a message model.
If the format of the messages that you want to use with your applications is not self-defining, then you must create a message model that defines the structure of your messages. If your messages are self-defining, you might want to create a message model to take advantage of runtime validation of messages, reuse of messages, automatic generation of documentation, and code completion on the message structure when you use ESQL. If you want to use message mapping, you must also create a message model for your messages.
WebSphere Message Broker provides pre-built models for common industry standard message formats such as SWIFT, EDIFACT, X12, FIX, HL7 and TLOG. You can also create message models from C header files, COBOL copybooks, XML Schema and DTDs, and WSDL files. Alternatively, you can use the Message Definition editor to create your own message models.
For further information, read the logical and physical message structure sections in What do I need to know to start developing applications?
You can populate your message set with message definitions that are created from existing application message formats. Use this link to find out about each of the formats that you can import to create message definitions. You can also get links to information about the supported features for each message format from Import formats.
A message set project is a container in which you create and maintain all the resources that are associated with a single message set.
A message set is a logical grouping of messages and the objects that comprise them (elements, types and groups). A message set can contain one message set file, definition files and message category files.
A message definition file contains the messages, elements, types, and messages that make up a message set. The message definition file contains the logical model and associated physical model in XML Schema form for a group of related messages.
Get an overview of the objects that make up a message model.
You can use message categories to group your messages or to assist in the generation of Web Services Description Language (WSDL) files.
You can define a message that contains one or more embedded messages within its structure.
You can define a message that contains repeating, optional and mandatory elements.
You can create substitution groups for XML-format messages, where one global element can be replaced by another global element in the message.
Objects in the message model such as elements, attributes, types, and groups are identified by their name. No two objects in the same scope are allowed to have the same name. If namespaces are enabled for a message set, each message definition file within it can specify a namespace. Global objects within namespaces can share the same name, therefore namespaces provide a way to avoid name clashes between objects.