IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Authoring services in Integration Designer > Defining and transforming data > Create and mapping interfaces > Mapping interfaces (deprecated)
Interface maps (deprecated)
Interface maps are created in the interface map editor to resolve and reconcile differences between the interfaces of interacting components.
There is a fundamental requirement in an integrated development environment to enable, despite disparities in their related interfaces, the various pieces of the integration puzzle to be "glued" together to form an integrated solution.
For example, you might have two components that have interfaces with different method names, GetCustomer and GetOurCustomer, and these interfaces need to be wired together. However, because the method names are different, you would need to use an interface map to enable these two components to interact by introducing another component to act between them, as a mediator. This mediator, in the form of an interface map, maps the operations and parameters of both the source and target interfaces.
The interface mapping component implementation is in the IFM file. Thus, the interface map editor is designed for the following purposes:
- Editing IFM files
- Creating IFM files through graphical visualization and manipulation
There are two levels of interface mapping:
- Operation mappings: In operation mappings, operations of the source interface are mapped to operations of the target interface. An operation in one interface is bound to an operation in another interface.
- Parameter mappings: Parameter mappings are one level deeper than operation mappings. The calling operation might have different parameters than the receiving operation and, therefore, it needs an interface map to reconcile the parameters. There are five types of parameter mappings: Assign, Custom, Extract, Map, and Move.
Using the interface map editor, you can reconcile the differences between interfaces for your integrated development environment. Interface maps can only be used in business modules, not in mediation modules.