Creating a Message Definition

If you plan to use custom wire formats in a message service, create a message definition.

For assistance in performing this task, open the Creating a Message Definition cheat sheet.

In the Service Development perspective, select File > New > Other from the main menu bar.
The New wizard opens.
Expand Sybase and select Message Definition.
Click Next.
The New Message Definition page opens.
Select the project in which to save the message definition in the Enter or Select the Parent Folder field.
Enter the message definition name in the File Name field.
Consider the following before naming a message definition:
- The name must not exceed 64 characters and conform to the naming conventions for XML elements, available at http://www.w3c.com, and the naming conventions for Java classes, available at http://java.sun.com.
- Use a naming convention appropriate for your implementation. Sybase recommends keeping message names unique and avoiding message names that differ only in case.

Do one of the following:

Option	Action
To accept the default settings for all message definition properties	Click Finish. The message definition automatically inherits default property settings specified in message default preferences. Skip the rest of this procedure. Note: You can also change design-related default settings for custom messages after the message definition is created. Select Change Design Defaults from the context menu accessed from the Message Details page of the Message Definition editor.
To specify default properties for the message definition	Click Next. You can specify default values for message, container, field, date and time, numeric, and length properties. Each set of properties is defined on a separate wizard page. Select defaults for each property, clicking Next to move from page to page. Note: It is possible to select any combination of default properties even though it is impractical or impossible to use all settings in the same message definition.

Option

Action

To accept the default settings for all message definition properties

Click Finish.

The message definition automatically inherits default property settings specified in message default preferences.

Skip the rest of this procedure.

Note: You can also change design-related default settings for custom messages after the message definition is created. Select Change Design Defaults from the context menu accessed from the Message Details page of the Message Definition editor.

To specify default properties for the message definition

Click Next.
You can specify default values for message, container, field, date and time, numeric, and length properties. Each set of properties is defined on a separate wizard page.
Select defaults for each property, clicking Next to move from page to page.
Note: It is possible to select any combination of default properties even though it is impractical or impossible to use all settings in the same message definition.

Click Finish when the default properties are set.
The message definition appears in the WorkSpace Navigator, and the message definition opens in the Message Definition editor.