1. Modeling OSM Processes
  2. Working with Orders
  3. Defining Order Data
  4. Adding Reference Data Nodes

Adding Reference Data Nodes

When modeling data in the order template, you can add reference nodes. A reference data node is a data node that is created by referencing another data node within the order template. The reference data node has the same data typing and structure of the node that it is referencing. However, the reference data node is a distinct instance of the data structure that it references.

For example, OrderItemRef is a reference data node for an order component that references the orderItem data structure in the order template. The OrderItemRef reference data node is a distinct instance of orderItem in the order component, but shares the structure of orderItem - a data node that is already defined and contributed by the Order Item Specification.

Note:

This feature is not available in releases prior to OSM 7.0.

To add a reference node:

  1. From the Studio menu, select Show Design Perspective.

  2. Click the Studio Projects tab.

  3. Double-click an existing order.

    The Order editor opens with the Order Template tab active. See "Order Editor Order Template Tab" for more information.

  4. Add a reference node to the root-level of the order template or to a data structure by doing one of the following:

    1. To add a reference node to the root-level of the order template, in the Order editor Order Template tab, right-click in the tab area and select Add Reference Node.

    2. To add a reference node to a data structure, in the Order editor Order Template tab, right-click on the data structure and select Add Reference Node.

      The Reference Node Creation dialog box is displayed.

  5. Select the data node to which the reference node will point.

    At run time, the reference node will obtain its value from the data node that you select.

  6. Click OK.

  7. Click Save.

You must set up reference nodes at order creation time in addition to creating the reference node association in the order template; otherwise, the reference node will be empty at run time. For an example of how to set up reference nodes when you create an order using the CreateOrderBySpecification web service operation, see the discussion on setting up reference nodes in OSM Developer's Guide.

Related Topics

About Reference Nodes

Order Editor