A Comprehensive Guide to IBM WebSphere Host Publisher Version 3.5

Chapter 11. Composite applications 323

11.2.1 Recommended procedure

In general, you can follow this procedure to create combined integration output in

your application from sequenced Integration Objects, using the Host Publisher

Studio wizards, as follows:

1. Create a new application.

2. Import the Integration Objects into the project.

3. Define the first Integration Object in the logical sequence first. Specify how to

provide input to this Integration Object, if applicable (using another form page,

for example). Do not render any output from this Integration Object on the

page. The output is used by the next Integration Object.

4. Define the second Integration Object. To satisfy its inputs, specify that they

are to be satisfied using other Integration Object output.

5. Select the other Integration Object from that page as providing that output.

Note that Integration Objects only accept single-value inputs, so you can only

use single-value outputs from other Integration Objects as input to another

Integration Object.

6. Render the output of the second Integration Object on the page.

You should have two pages in your application. One page requests input in an

input form and delivers it to the other page. The second page executes the first

Integration Object using the input, executes the second Integration Object using

the first Integration Object's output as input, and displays its own output on the

page.

If required, more Integration Objects can be added to the page to lengthen the

sequence.

11.3 Sequencing Integration Objects on multiple pages

You can use multiple Integration Objects to return data to the user in steps,

allowing the user to act upon the data and return selected data for the next

Integration Object to use.

For example, Figure 11-3 on page 324 illustrates an application with three pages.

The first page uses a phone number lookup application to request a name (input

page). The second page displays all matches found (execution page 1), allowing

the user to select one. The third page displays the phone number of the selected

individual (execution page 2).

324 IBM WebSphere Host Publisher Version 3.5

Figure 11-3 Sequencing Integration Objects on multiple pages

This type of composite application consists of an initial form page followed by a

series of pages. Each execution page contains an Integration Object and an

input form filled with the output from that Integration Object. Each Integration

Object executes, using the selections from the previous page as input, and fills

the new input form on the current page with output. The user makes a selection

and continues to the next Integration Object.

Figure 11-3 illustrates this scenario for Integration Objects in sequence and on

multiple pages. For example:

1. The input page containing a form is invoked.

2. The user enters a name and submits the request to JSP execution page 1.

3. JSP execution page 1 instantiates the first Integration Object (JavaBean) to

find all matches for this request.

4. JSP execution page 1 displays all matches found and allows the user to select

one.

5. The user selects a name and submits the request to obtain the phone number

for this name.

6. JSP execution page 2 instantiates the second Integration Object (JavaBean)

to obtain the phone number for the selected name.

7. JSP execution page 2 displays the phone number of the selected individual.