Adapter

Adapter: Provides basic or additional features, such as encoding conversions, or enables you, for example, to access a remote SAP ERP system. Since X4 Designer mainly works with XML data, in most cases adapters produce or modify XML documents. Most adapters output XML data that can be processed in further process actions.

To choose an adapter type and to specify parameters, double-click the corresponding adapter icon in the drawing area. The individual signification of the following adapter properties is described in the respective adapter reference.

Properties

Creating and Using Adapters

Adapters can be created within an ESB project in the Adapters folder. There are two options available for this purpose:

• via the menu Project > Add Adapter
• via the context menu New > Adapter

To create an adapter, proceed as follows:

1. Right-click on the Adapters folder within the ESB project to open the context menu.
2. In the context menu, select New > Adapter.
   The File Creation Wizard for creating new adapters opens.
   

   

3. Select the desired adapter from the list.

   

   The search box allows you to search for adapter names and descriptions, and to filter the displayed adapters. Additionally, you can sort adapters by category by clicking on the column title Category.

4. Enter the adapter name in File Name.

5. Click Finish to save the adapter to the repository.
   The adapter will be opened in the Adapter Editor and can be configured.

   

   Note:

   If you right-click (or press Ctrl + C) on the name of the parameter, you can copy it and use it, for example, in as a parameter in mappings, as component parameter, or as dynamic parameter.

   For more information on using parameters refer to the following chapters:

   • Using parameters in XSL mappings
   • Using component parameters
   • Using dynamic parameters

   
   

   

6. Define the parameters within the Adapter Editor, at least the mandatory parameters.    
   Mandatory fields are marked with the symbol

   

   .
   

   • Set all adapter parameters that contain confidential information, dynamically with XSL mappings, e.g., using the processing instruction DynamicParameter (see Using Component Parameters). Thus, user credentials are not set to the adapter until the Technical Process is running. The corresponding parameters can be left blank, and confidential data is not visible in the process documentation.
   • A parameter reference for each adapter can be found in the documentation, see Overview of X4 Adapters.

7. Save the adapter.

8. Insert the adapter component from the Projects view into the Technical Process via drag-and-drop.

9. Select an adapter operation for the selected adapter in Operation within the Properties view.
   The adapter is now ready to use.

10. Save the Technical Process.