Data mapping for SOAP and dotNet connectors

Data mapping defines the relationship between parameter-value pairs in external systems and property-value pairs in the Pega Platform. SOAP and dotNET connector forms have two tabs for data mapping:

  • Request — Use this tab to specify how the connector rule maps arguments for the SOAP request messages from properties on the clipboard (Map From).
  • Response — Use this tab to specify how the connector rule maps the reply message from the external service to properties on the clipboard (Map To).

For SOAP and dotNet connectors, the Pega Platform supports all primitive data types supported by the World Wide Web Consortium standard.

Simple data types

Because XML is text-based, any XSD data type can be mapped into a Single Value property of type Text. However, when possible, a more restrictive mapping is better — for example, the XSD type float corresponds to the Pega Platform type of Double. In specific situations, you may be aware of values and format that allow even more restrictive mappings than listed below.

When an incoming or outgoing message contains scalar arguments that match the Pega Platform properties or activity parameters and the data is to be treated as a single value, create simple argument-property mappings. The following table lists the XSD data types that appear in the Data Type selection list and suggest the typical Pega Platform property type to map the value to or from.

XSD Data Type Type Notes and XSD examples
string Text Also used for User Name and Password.
Boolean True or False True
double Double  
float Double XSD represents single-precision values (originally 32 bits) only.

-1E4, 12687.433E12, 12, INF (infinity)

int Integer Same as Java
long Integer Same as Java
short Integer Same as Java
byte Integer Same as Java
base64Binary Text Encoded binary value as characters
hexBinary Text Encoded binary value as characters
dateTime DateTime  
date Date 1999-10-26
decimal Decimal 3.14159
integer Integer -7, 43
QName Identifier Rare
duration Text P1Y2M3DT10H30M
time DateTime UTC zone (Zulu) only.

2004-03-04T21:15:00Z

gYear Identifier 1999
gYearMonth Identifier 1999-05
gMonth Identifier 05
gMonthDay Identifier 05-31
gDay Identifier 31
negativeInteger Integer -7
positiveInteger Integer 7
nonNegativeInteger Integer 7
nonPositiveInteger Integer 0
unsignedInt Integer 555
unsignedShort Integer 32
unsignedLong Integer 235262343
unsignedByte Integer 254
normalizedString Text Contains no carriage return, tab, or line feed characters.
token Identifier A normalizedString that contains no leading or trailing spaces, and no sequences of two or more spaces.
anyURI Identifier http://www.pega.com
Name Identifier Rare
NCName Identifier Rare
NMTOKEN Text Rare

Complex data types

To map complex data types, assess the data that will be transmitted in the SOAP messages. Consider whether the message contains a string parameter with XML code embedded in the value or the message contains an XML object:

  • If the message contains scalar arguments, the data in the argument is XML, and the SOAP operation style is RPC-encoded. Identify the data type as String and map the data from XML Stream rules and to Parse XML rules. Typically, the XML provides values from or for a complex Pega Platform property.
  • If the message contains an XML object and you use the Connector and Metadata wizard to generate the rules, the data is mapped to and from the data transforms specified on the XML Page tab and the data type is specified as XML Page. Typically, but not always, it means the SOAP operation style is document-literal.

For information about using Parse XML rules, XML Stream rules, and data transforms (previously known as model rules) for data mapping, see Data Mapping XML, a document on the Integration area of Pega Community.

Integration-Connectors category