Message Format Properties

You can modify an object's properties from its property sheet. To open a message format property sheet, double-click its diagram symbol in the diagram or its Browser entry in the Message Formats folder.

The General tab contains the following properties:

Property	Description
Name	Specifies the name of the item, which should be clear and meaningful, and should convey the item's purpose to non-technical users.
Code	Specifies the technical name of the object, which is used for generating code or scripts.
Comment	Specifies a descriptive comment for the object.
Stereotype	Extends the semantics of the object. You can enter a stereotype directly in this field, or add stereotypes to the list by specifying them in an extension file.

Definition Tab

The Definition tab contains the following properties:

Property	Description
Definition type	Specifies how the message format is defined. You can choose between: Embedded file – Enter the definition in the text field. You can open, insert and save text files in this field. External file – Enter a file in the External definition box. URL – Enter a Web address in the External definition box. Message parts – Create message parts in the list (see Message Parts (BPM)). XML model - Select an XSM open in the workspace. Use the tools to the right of this field to create a new XSM or open the property sheet of the currently selected model. For detailed information about working with XSMs, see the XML Modeling guide.
External definition	[External file and URL only] Specifies the location path to an external file or an URL.
Message format	[Embedded or External file and URL only] Specifies the format of the message. You can enter your own format or choose one of the following: XML Schema DTD RELAX NG

Data Tab

This tab is only available for the Analysis language, and lists the data associated with the message format. You can add or create data and specify both the type and the format of the data conveyed by the flow (see Specifying data for a flow, a resource flow or a message format). If you have specified data for a flow, the data specified for the message format, should be a subset of the flow data (see Flow Properties).

Dependencies Tab

The Dependencies tab displays the use of an object or model by the current object. When working with orchestration languages, the Dependencies tab allows you to display, in distinct sub-tabs, the different uses of the current message format:

Sub-tab	Description
Operation Input Message	Displays all the operations that use the message format as input.
Operation Output Message	Displays all the operations that use the message format as output.
Fault Message Links	Displays all uses of the message format as a fault on an operation.
Typed Variables	Displays all the variables that use the message format as a data type.