Integration XML messages
WebSphere Commerce offers support for inbound and outbound messages that use the XML format. Each inbound message invokes specific behaviors within the WebSphere Commerce Server by executing a controller command. Each controller command in turn performs operations on the WebSphere Commerce database and subsystems. Some controller commands can be executed by more than one XML message. In addition, some messages can invoke different commands, depending on the content of the message.
The following table lists the XML messages supported by WebSphere Commerce grouped by message type. For a description of the message types refer to the topic WebSphere Commerce message types.
Usage Type XML Messages Description Controller Command Back-end Back-end inbound notification Create_WCS_Customer, Create_NC_Customer To create a customer registration, use the Create_WCS_Customer XML message. If we already record customer information about an existing back-end system, rather than re-create this information from scratch, use this message to register the customer data on the WebSphere Commerce database. The message sends existing customer information from the back-end server to the WebSphere Commerce Server. We can also use the Create_NC_Customer XML message, and the Customer New legacy messages to perform similar function. However, the Create_WCS_Customer XML message provides you with capability to enter more customer information. UserRegistrationAddCmd Back-end Back-end inbound notification Update_WCS_Customer Update_NC_Customer To update a customer registration that already exists in the WebSphere Commerce database, use the Update_WCS_Customer XML message. When you use this message, the back-end customer management system updates customer information and sends the message to WebSphere Commerce to update information about a registered customer. We can also use the Update_NC_Customer XML message, and the Customer Update legacy messages to perform a similar function. However, the Update_WCS_Customer XML message provides you with capability to update more customer information. UserRegistrationUpdateCmd Back-end Back-end inbound notification Update_WCS_OrderStatus, Update_NC_OrderStatus To update the status of an order that already exists in the WebSphere Commerce database, use the Update_WCS_OrderStatus XML message. Use this message to update the WebSphere Commerce database with the status of orders that are processed by a back-end application. For example, the shipping status of an order from the back-end fulfillment system can be updated in the WebSphere Commerce system by sending this message from the back-end system to WebSphere Commerce. We can also use the Update_NC_OrderStatus XML message or the Order Status Update legacy message to perform similar function. However, the Update_WCS_OrderStatus XML message provides you with capability to update more order status information. OrderStatusCmd Back-end Back-end inbound notification Update_WCS_OrderStatus Updates the confirmation status of an order. OrderConfirmStatusCmd Back-end Back-end inbound notification Update_WCS_OrderStatus Updates the shipping status of an order. OrderShippingStatus Back-end Back-end inbound notification Update_WCS_OrderStatus Updates the invoice status of an order. OrderInvoiceStatus Back-end Back-end inbound notification Update_WCS_ProductPrice, Update_NC_ProductPrice To update offer price of a product that already exists in the WebSphere Commerce database, use the Update_WCS_ProductPrice XML message. This message is ideal for instances when an external or back-end system maintains product information, including prices. The external system can send one of these messages to WebSphere Commerce to update offer prices of products in the WebSphere Commerce database. If we are updating the offer price of a product, we can also use the Update_NC_ProductPrice XML message or the Product Price Update legacy message to perform the same function. ProductOfferPriceUpdate Back-end Back-end inbound notification Update_WCS_ProductPrice To update the list price of a product that already exists in the WebSphere Commerce database, use the Update_WCS_ProductPrice XML message. This message is ideal for instances when an external or back-end system maintains product information, including prices. The external system can send one of these messages to WebSphere Commerce to update list prices of products in the WebSphere Commerce database. ProductListPriceUpdate Back-end Back-end inbound notification Update_WCS_ProductInventory Update_NC_ProductInventory To update the inventory for a product that already exists in the WebSphere Commerce database, use the Update_WCS_ProductInventory XML message. This message is ideal for instances when an external or back-end inventory system maintains product inventory. The external system can send the message to WebSphere Commerce to update inventory in the WebSphere Commerce database. We can also use the Product Quantity Update legacy message to perform the same function. Alternatively, the Update_NC_ProductInventory XML message performs a similar function. However, the Update_WCS_ProductInventory XML message provides you with capability to update more inventory information. ProductInventoryUpdate Distributor WebSphere Commerce request/reply 2 (Request) priceAndAvailabilityRequest The originating request to get price, quantity, and availability information for product items of interest to customers. Requests the price, quantity, and availability information about a list of items. requesterderQuotationPolicyCmd Distributor WebSphere Commerce request/reply 2 (Reply) Update_WCS_PriceAndAvailability Price and Availability Response to pass in price and availability information OrderQuotationCreate Distributor WebSphere Commerce request/reply 2 (Request) shoppingCartTransferRequest The originating request to transfer the customer's shopping cart. Sends a request to an external system to transfer a shopping cart of a WebSphere Commerce customer to the external system. TransferShopCartPolicyCmd Distributor WebSphere Commerce outbound request/reply 2 (Reply) Update_WCS_ShoppingCartTransfer Shopping Cart Transfer Response to confirm customer's shopping cart has been successfully transferred to an external system OrderTransferConfirm Distributor WebSphere Commerce request/reply 2 (Request) batchAvailabilityRequest The originating request to get availability information for a list of products from an external system. Sends a request to an external system to get availability information in as a batch job. RequestBatchAvailabilityPolicyCmd Distributor WebSphere Commerce outbound request/reply 2 (Reply) Update_WCS_BatchAvailability Batch Inventory Availability Response to provide inventory availability information BatchAvailabilityResponse Back-end WebSphere Commerce request/reply 1 (Request) Request_WCS_BE_ProductInventory The originating synchronous request to get inventory information for a list of products. Sends a request to an external system to get the quantity and availability information of an item. CheckInventoryAvailabilityCmd Back-end WebSphere Commerce outbound request/reply 1 (Reply) Request_WCS_BE_ProductInventory Inventory Availability Check Response CheckInventoryAvailability Fulfillment Back-end inbound request/reply (Request)
Create_WCS_ExpectedInventoryRecord To create an expected inventory record in the WebSphere Commerce database, use the Create_WCS_ExpectedInventoryRecord XML message. This message is ideal for instances when a fulfillment center manages the inventory and ordering information of vendors. WebSphere Commerce is informed about the availability of future stock and can track inventory levels. The fulfillment center can send one of these messages to WebSphere Commerce to create an expected inventory record in the WebSphere Commerce database when the inventory level for a product is low. This record can be used for backorders. ExpectedInventoryRecordCreateCmd Fulfillment Back-end Inbound request/reply (Reply) Response_WCS_ExpectedInvRecord Allows you to respond to fulfillment center systems when a request for an expected inventory record has been created. It contains the RA_ID and RADETAIL_ID that are generated. The outbound message is invoked by the Create_WCS_ExpectedInventoryRecord message and generated by the RACreateResult.jsp file. ExpectedInventoryRecordCreateCmd Fulfillment Back-end inbound request/reply Create_WCS_PickBatch To create a pick batch record in the WebSphere Commerce database, use the Create_WCS_PickBatch XML message. This message is ideal for instances when a fulfillment center manages the pick batch functions. The fulfillment center can send one of these messages to WebSphere Commerce to create a pick batch in the WebSphere Commerce database. A pick batch groups together all outstanding orders ready for release for the given fulfillment center and store. A pick ticket for all released orders in a pick batch is created and stored in the PICKBATCH table. A packing list for each released order is created and stored in ORDRELEASE table. PickBatchGenerateCmd Fulfillment Back-end Inbound request/reply (Reply) Response_WCS_PickBatch Allows you to communicate to fulfillment center systems that a pick batch has been created. The outbound message is invoked by the Create_WCS_PickBatch message and generated by the PickBatchResult.jsp file. PickBatchGenerateCmd Fulfillment Back-end inbound request/reply (Request)
Inquire_WCS_PickPackListDetail To inquire about the pick ticket details, use the Inquire_WCS_PickPackListDetail XML message. This message is used with the Create_WCS_PickBatch message. After the fulfillment center sends a Create_WCS_PickBatch message to WebSphere Commerce, a pick batch is created, the new pick batch ID is returned to the fulfillment center. The fulfillment center can then send the Inquire_WCS_PickPackListDetail message with the pick batch ID as a parameter to retrieve the details of the pick ticket and packing list. GetPickPackListDetailCmd Fulfillment Back-end Inbound request/reply (Reply) Report_WCS_PickPackListDetail This message is invoked by the Inquire_WCS_PickPackListDetail message and allows us to respond to a fulfillment center request by sending details for a specific PICKBATCH_ID. It contains the pick ticket and packing list from the ORDRELEASE table for the given PICKBATCH_ID. GetPickPackListDetailCmd Fulfillment Back-end inbound request/reply (Request) Create_WCS_InventoryReceipt To create a receipt for products ordered, use the Create_WCS_InventoryReceipt XML message. This message allows us to create a receipt for products that have been ordered from a vendor, helping to update the inventory available on hand (under the RECEIPT database table) within the WebSphere WebSphere Commerce inventory database. A fulfillment center can send one of these messages to WebSphere Commerce to create a receipt that can be used to keep track of products ordered. ReceiptCreateCmd Fulfillment Back-end Inbound request/reply (Reply) Response_WCS_UpdateInvReceipt Allows you to respond to fulfillment center systems informing them that inventory has been updated upon receipt. The outbound message is invoked by the Update_WCS_InventoryReceipt message and generated by the UpdateInvReceiptOK.jsp file. ReceiptCreateCmd Fulfillment Back-end inbound request/reply Update_WCS_InventoryReceipt To resolve any discrepancies between a physical inventory count and the inventory levels maintained in WebSphere Commerce, use the Update_WCS_InventoryReceipt XML message. This message is used when an external fulfillment center system manages the inventory shipments. The fulfillment center system can send this message to WebSphere Commerce to adjust product inventory levels. InventoryAdjustCmd Fulfillment Back-end Inbound request/reply (Reply) Response_WCS_CreateInvReceipt Allows you to communicate to fulfillment center systems that an inventory receipt has been created. The outbound message is invoked by the Create_WCS_InventoryReceipt message and generated by the CreateInvReceiptOK.jsp file. ReceiptCreateCmd Fulfillment Back-end inbound request/reply (Request) Create_WCS_ShipmentConfirmation To issue a shipment confirmation to WebSphere Commerce, use the Create_WCS_ShipmentConfirmation XML message. A fulfillment center can send one of these messages to WebSphere Commerce to create a shipment confirmation message verifying that an order is shipped. This message also gives you the option of sending an e-mail notification to the customer when orders are shipped. See Enable the shipment notification e-mail for further details on how to enable the customer e-mail notification. ReleaseShipConfirmCmd Fulfillment Back-end Inbound request/reply (Reply) Response_WCS_CreateShipConfirm This message is invoked by the Create_WCS_ShipmentConfirmation message and allows us to respond to fulfillment center systems confirming that a shipment confirmation has been created. ReleaseShipConfirmCmd Fulfillment Back-end Inbound request/reply (Reply) Release_WCS_ShipmentNotify An outbound e-mail message that allows you the option of notifying customers when an order has been shipped. Fulfillment Back-end outbound notification Report_NC_PurchaseOrder message An outbound XML message that allows us to notify a back-end system of a new purchase order. To set up this message refer to Enable the Report_NC_PurchaseOrder message. OrderMessagingCmd (Task command)
- Message classification
WebSphere Commerce supports four message interaction types: WebSphere Commerce outbound notification, Back-end inbound notification, WebSphere Commerce outbound request or reply.- Back-end integration messages
- Distributor integration messages
WebSphere Commerce uses XML message interfaces to integrate to external applications. These messages are defined to allow WebSphere Commerce to integrate with distributors systems.
Related concepts
Message classification