When a synchronization is executed, the underlying business flow executes a default sequence of steps. A normal business flow uses the following flow steps:
- Load
- Convert
- (Optional) Compare
- Save
To modify the default sequence you can add custom steps to a business flow.
A custom step is a very powerful tool that enables you to make significant changes to a data flow. You can insert a custom step anywhere after the Load step and before the Save step. This allows you to manipulate the data before it is passed to the next step.
Custom steps can be classified into the following categories:
- External custom step
Refers to a custom step that has been added from outside the Gateway user interface, for example, by using the Customization SDK.
- Internal custom step
Refers to a custom step that has been added in the customization.xml file and then imported as configuration data through the Gateway user interface.
The following section describes the various methods to create external and internal custom steps for business flows.