Collections of names and values can be passed as parameter data for an OIG transaction or XML document when the object is run. This data can be extracted by rules using the ECTSGETARGS utility. Such data is held in a session table called ECTSPARMS. Names for parameter data do not need to be unique. The same parameter name may be passed more than once.
When the .NET or the COM interfaces of OIG are used on a web page, query data for the page is automatically passed along with parameters for the OIG object.
A collection of persistent data may also be passed when running an OIG object and is automatically received when the request has completed. Once a name and value pair has been added to the collection of persistent data, it will be passed for all calls afterwards unless it is removed from the collection. The Java, .NET, and COM OIG interfaces have functions to set and get these data. Unlike parameter data, names must be unique in the collection of persistent data.
A rule can extract persistent data using the ECTSGETARG or ECTSGETSESS utilities. ECTSGETSESS only gets persistent data whereas ECTSGETARG first checks for parameter data and then searches the collection of persistent data. Persistent data is placed in a session table named ECTSSESSION.
When called from a web page context, the .NET and COM interfaces of OIG automatically pass all web session variables in the collection of persistent data. Should a rule add a new name and value to the collection, then the value is automatically copied to the web page’s session variable collection after the call to OIG.
More complex data may be passed and received as a table or XML document. XML is passed and received as strings but tables are exchanged using the appropriate object for the technology being used.
Tables and XML are passed and received using get and set methods as name and value pairs. The name when setting a table or XML document corresponds to the name of a table or XML document defined in TIBCO Object Service Broker.
To pass a collection of tables and XML, the OIG application must call set interfaces to build the collection. On the subsequent call to run a transaction or XML document, these documents and tables are also passed along with parameter data for the object. Data from the collection is automatically available to rules for the OIG object. Table data is assigned to the named table and the appropriate XML document objects are invoked to process the XML before the OIG object is run. Finally, the collection of tables and XML is cleared when the call to run an OIG object is complete.
OIG XML documents and transactions can return XML and tables. Upon return from calling an OIG object an application can use appropriate get functions to extract the returned data.