Studio Scopes
About Scopes
The message processors known as Scopes appear as processing blocks when you first place them on the Message Flow canvas (See: below).
Certain scopes (i.e., Poll, Message Enricher, and Until Successful) require you to embed no more than one message processor within the processing block (See: below). Variously, these scopes add functionality to the embedded message processor by:
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triggering it periodically
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enhancing its payload
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triggering it until the associated event succeeds
Typically, the other sub-group of scopes (which includes Composite, Async, and Sub Flow) accepts more than one message processor (See: below).
In the case of Composite, the embedded building blocks are actually message sources (i.e. inbound endpoints) that listen in parallel on different channels for incoming messages (See: above, left). Whenever any of these receivers accepts a message, the Composite scope passes it to the first message processor in the flow, thus triggering that flow.
For the Async and Sub Flow scopes, the embedded message processors form a single, combined message processor (or event) sequence (See: above).
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Synchronous means that processing on the main flow halts, and all the message processors in the child flow execute before the parent flow resumes processing; in other words, no processing takes place in the parent flow while the synchronous child flow is executing. Asynchronous means that as soon as the child flow receives a message, it immediately sends one copy of that message to the next message processor in the parent flow so that processing in the parent flow continues, essentially uninterrupted. The asynchronous child flow also starts processing another copy of the message with its own sequence of message processors. These two simultaneous processing branches continue independently until each completes. |
The Async scope sits in the parent flow sequence, and when it receives a message, it sends a copy of the message on to the next message processor in the parent flow, while simultaneously (and asychronously) processing another copy of the message through its own sequence of embedded message processors (See: below).
The Sub Flow scope exists as a synchronous branch flow with respect to the parent flow (See: below). After it receives a message from a Flow Reference component, it processes that message through the entire sequence of embedded message processors, then passes the message back to the next message processor in the parent flow for further processing. This process repeats each time a Flow Reference component in the main flow "calls" the Sub Flow processing block.
Scopes Available in Studio
| Scope | Description | |
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Async |
Creates a block of message processors that execute asynchronously while the rest of the flow continues to execute in parallel. For instance, you can populate an Async scope with a sequence of building blocks that perform logging so that logging does not slow down the rest of the application flow. For specific information on configuring the Async Scope, see the Async Scope Reference page. |
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Cache |
Caches data produced by part of a flow. Wrap a cache scope around message processors in your flow so that it caches the response events produced within the scope. For specific information on configuring the Cache Scope, see the Cache Scope page. |
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Composite Source |
To accept incoming messages from multiple input channels, place two or more message sources (also known as receivers) into a Composite Source. A message entering the Composite Source on any supported channel triggers the processing flow. |
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Foreach |
Splits any type of message collection apart into individual messages for processing, and then aggregate them again at the end of the scope. |
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Message Enricher |
Appends information to a message, often using an expression to determine what part of the payload to evaluate so as to return an appropriate value to append to that payload. For example, the expression can evaluate a ZIP code and then append the associated City and State to the payload. The message processor is executed and the enricher scope uses the result of that execution to enrich the message coming into the scope. |
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Poll |
Periodically polls an embedded message receiver for new messages. For example, set a Poll to retrieve email at regular intervals by placing a request-response endpoint such as SMTP within the Poll processing block. |
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Sub Flow |
A flow that is called by another flow. Sub flows inherit their properties from the flow reference and are always synchronous. This type of scope can be very useful when you need to reuse code at several points within the same flow. Simply place (and configure) Flow Reference Components wherever you want the sub flow processing block to execute. |
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Until Successful |
Attempts, at a specified interval, to route a message to an embedded message processor until one of the following occurs:
Thus, Poll can prove useful in sending messages to resources, such as shared printers, which might not always be immediately available. |
Scope Configuration
Depending on the particular scope, configuration requires between two and four steps.
Place the Scope on the Message Flow Canvas
Drag the icon of the scope you want to implement onto the Message Flow canvas. Note that all six scopes initially appear as empty "processing blocks." The following table lists requirements for placing and populating scopes:
| Scope | Placement Requirements | Population Requirements |
|---|---|---|
Async |
Must be placed within the parent flow |
Must be populated with a sequence of message processors which execute asynchronously with respect to the parent flow |
Composite |
Must be placed at the start of the parent flow (i.e., must act as a message source) |
Must be populated with more than one message source |
Foreach |
Must be placed within the parent flow |
Must be populated with a sequence of message processors which execute asynchronously with respect to the parent flow |
Message Enricher |
Must be placed within the parent flow |
Must be populated with exactly one message processor, to which the message enricher hands off the enhanced message |
Poll |
Must be placed outside the parent flow sequence, then called by a Flow Reference in the parent flow |
Must be populated with exactly one message processor, which the poll triggers at a specified interval |
Sub Flow |
Must be placed outside the parent flow, then referenced one or more times by Flow Reference components within the parent flow |
Must be populated by a sequence of message processors, which execute synchronously with respect to the parent flow |
Until Successful |
Must be placed within the parent flow |
Must be populated with exactly one message processor, which the scope triggers until the event is successful |
Configure the Embedded Message Processors
The setup procedures for all embedded message processors or message sources are the same as for non-embedded building blocks.
Configure the Parent Scope
In all cases, except for Composite Source,which does not require any configuration, double-click the scope’s icon to open its Properties pane. Sub Flow supports optional documentation only. The other four scopes require or permit varying degrees of additional configuration.
