If you have not already done so, review Understanding Client Messages.
Immediately after capturing data descriptions or screens the ClearPath ePortal data source project has a server message for each data description or screen that was captured.
At this point, you may already have client messages, or you may need to create client messages. Refer to Understanding Client Messages.
Think of a client message as the Web page or mobile application page that the end user uses to interact with the ClearPath server application, or as a Web service method that can be made part of a service object application.
The data flow between the client messages and the server messages that come from and go to the ClearPath server application are defined using the Orchestration Editor.
Use one or all of the following procedures to create client messages that become the basis you need for the new presentation and then go to Creating a Simple Orchestration to use both the client messages and server message to define the data flow.
To create a client message that includes all of the fields of server message
Ensure that the ClearPath ePortal data source project is selected in Solution Explorer.
In the ePortal Message View window, right-click the appropriate server message, and click Save As Client Message. A client message that contains all the fields of the server message is created in the Client Messages folder.
To create a client message that consolidates the fields from multiple server messages
Ensure that the ClearPath ePortal data source project is selected in Solution Explorer.
In the ePortal Message View window, right-click the Client Messages folder, and click New.
In the Add New Client Message dialog box, type the name of the new client message using a valid C# identifier.
Click OK.
In the ePortal Message window, right-click the new client message, and click Edit. The Message Editor opens and the client message appears in the <client message name>.eprec tab.
In the ePortal Message window, do one or more of the following steps:
If one or more fields of a server message are needed, select each appropriate field from a server message and drag it to the root node of the client message. You can use the Ctrl and Shift keys to select multiple fields in the server message. Refer to ePortal Message View for more information.
If all of the fields of the server message are needed in the client message, select the server message and drag it to the root node of the client message. This creates a reference to the server message from the client message and all changes to the server message are automatically updated in the client message.
If the client message of an MCP COBOL solution needs to include a connection to the MCP server, drag the appropriate field or fields from the connect_autologon or the connect_Basic server messages. Refer to ”Connecting to a Server” in Orchestration Tasks for OS 2200 TIP Projects for more details.
If the client message of an OS 2200 TIP solution needs to include a connection to the OS 2200 server, drag the appropriate field or fields from the connect_Basic server message. Refer to Orchestration Tasks for OS 2200 TIP Projects for more details.
Note: Any field of a server message or a complete server message can be added to a client message. Using a complete server message makes tasks in the Orchestration Editor easier and is the recommended process. The order of the fields or server message is not important at this time. Creating the look of the Web page, mobile application page, or Web service happens at a later point in the process.
If the client message needs to have fields that are not part of a server message to support the planned logic, do the following:
Open the Toolbox.
Drag one of the possible field types to the root of the client message.
In the Properties window, change the ID value to a name that is appropriate and make any other changes for the field that are needed. Refer to Message Editor Toolbox Selections for more information.
Note: Do not update the ID field with any of these values: SubmitOnGet, Security, and PrimaryField. Updating the field with these values might result in a naming conflict that cause various errors.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all of the necessary fields are present in the client message.
To create a client message that handles multiple outputs from an MCP application followed by an end-of-group indicator
Ensure that the ClearPath ePortal data source project is selected in Solution Explorer.
In the ePortal Message View window, right-click the Client Messages folder, and click New.
In the Add New Client Message dialog box, type the name of the new client message using a valid C# identifier.
Click OK.
In the ePortal Message window, right-click the new client message, and click Edit. The Message Editor opens and the client message appears in the <client message name>.eprec tab.
In the ePortal Message window, select the server message that represents the MCP application record set that will be received when the MCP application issues the Transaction Server SEND and drag it to the Client Messages node.
In the Properties window, set the IsArray property to True.
To create a client message that does not contain any fields from a server message
In some instances the new presentation might require that a client message be created that does not include any fields from a server message. An example might be a Welcome client message.
Ensure that the ClearPath ePortal data source project is selected in Solution Explorer.
In the ePortal Message View window, right-click the Client Messages folder, and click New.
In the Add New Client Message dialog box, type the name of the new client message using a valid C# identifier.
Click OK.
In the ePortal Message window, right-click the new client message, and click Edit. The Message Editor opens and the client message appears in the <client message name>.eprec tab.
Open the Toolbox.
One at a time, drag the fields that might be necessary to the root of the client message.
In the Properties window, change the ID value to a name that is appropriate and make any other changes for the field that are needed. Refer to Message Editor Toolbox Selections for more information.
Refer to also, Reconciling Client Message Changes to Scaffolded Presentation Projects.