more notes on java embedding

I noted in the past on BPEL java embedding http://yuanmengblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/few-bpel-java-embedding-notes.html

here are some additional notes:

1. importing syntax:

I'm using BPEL 2.0 this time. This is the importing syntax I'm using now, not sure if it's BPEL 2.0 thing. For sure it's different from my previous post:

add imports right above partner links and right below name spaces.


  <import location="oracle.xml.parser.v2.XMLElement" importType="http://schemas.oracle.com/bpel/extension/java"/>      
  <import location="java.io.File" importType="http://schemas.oracle.com/bpel/extension/java"/>      

2. Two ways to get and set variables:

2.1. getting and setting string variables:

   nothing fancy, you can do straight:

    String foo = (String) getVariableData("foo");

    setVariableData("foo", "bar");

2.2. If you need to get to an Xpath in an element, then you have to do something like

XMLElement srcElem = (XMLElement) getVariableData("inputVariable", "payload", "/client:foo/client:bar");      

String bar = srcElem.getTextContent();      

remember you need to add "import" like in step 1. 

3. Gotcha's

Although it's very tempting, don't do this:

   String srcElem = (String) getVariableData("inputVariable", "payload", "/client:foo/client:bar");   

it doesn't work that way.

If you don't want to deal with the hassles of "importing" and casting, here is a recommended way to go around it. 

Using above example:

 a) create a BPEL string variable, call it "bar"

 b) inside BPEL, assign ("inputVariable", "payload", "/client:foo/client:bar") to the "bar" variable

 c) inside your java embedding, you can use get/set freely on "bar", just like in step 2.1 above.