How to Work with Processes > Working with the Platform Services Processes Group > Working with Outbox / Post Message Background Process

Process Purpose

This is a Messagebox Service related process.

The "Outbox / Post Message Background" process is used to, asynchronously, post messages into a specific topic which is being polled by the back-end. This communication is handled on the background, meaning, the application does not stop its execution to post the message.

When you add a process, you are required to define its settings. This occurs in the process's properties window which is displayed automatically after having added the "Outbox / Post Message Background" process.

If any subsequent edition is required, double-click the process to open its properties window and enter the necessary modifications.

Fill in the following options:

Destination

Topic Name

Select the intended topic profile from the drop-down. If required, click to edit the selected topic profile. See To Edit a Message Box Topic Profile.

Message Header

Header Name column

This column automatically displays the headers that were defined in the selected topic profile. It is NOT editable.

A Header is a message parameter that can contain business data.

Value column

This column automatically displays the default value for each header that was defined in the selected topic profile.

If required, define a new value for the selected header. Enter it OR click to select the variable that contains the intended header value.

See To Select/Create a Variable.

Message Body

Content

Define the content type for the message's Body - "Variable" (default selection) OR "File".

This selection affects the related option (located below).

Variable/File

Depending on the selected content type, you will access the corresponding field:

Content Type

Related Field

Variable

Click and select the variable that contains the message's body.

File

Enter the name of the file with the message Body OR click to edit the selected data file. See Editing a Data File.

A message can consist of Headers with an empty Body. In that case, leave the "Variable"/"File" fields empty.

Options

Time to Live

Define how long the system will try to send the messages intended for the topic represented by the current topic profile. Any messages that were not delivered during this time, are removed from the device's cache.

Select the "Time to Live" value from the drop-down. Selecting "<default>" means using the device's internal time frame.

If required, use the icon on the upper right corner of the properties window to attach any relevant notes to this process. Click it and enter your notes in the resulting text box. These notes will be displayed in the corresponding "Actions" tab or "Process" window (in the "Notes" field) and in the "Developer Report".

After filling in the required options, click to conclude or to abort.

The added process is displayed in the corresponding "Actions" tab or "Process" window.

When creating/editing a file, we recommend you use the related best practices (ex: do NOT use special characters).

For more detailed information, register/log in to our MCL Community and access MCL's Knowledge Base ("File Name Best Practices").

Use the right-click in MCL-Designer's input boxes to access some related options as well as the general "Cut", "Copy"; "Paste"; "Search" actions (active/inactive according to the current context).

Ex: If you right-click the "Variable" input box (included in a "Conversion's" properties window), you are provided with general editing/search actions and other more specific options such as "Variable Select" (see "Variable Select"); "Variable Insert" (see "Variable Insert"); "Insert Special Character" (see To Insert Special Characters into a Control's Text Input Field) and "Localization Select" (see Localization List).

If you right-click another input box, it may provide other possibilities.