Messages that you can use with the Flow Exerciser to check that a message flow processes messages as expected

Input messages are messages that are processed by the input node in a message flow.

Input messages can be generated and sent from a third-party tool or client, or created by using the Flow Exerciser. If you create input messages by using the Flow Exerciser, you can create messages for message flows that contain the following input nodes:

• MQInput node
• HTTPInput node
• SOAPInput node

If the message flow is part of a REST API, you cannot use input messages created by the Flow Exerciser; however, you can use an external tool or client to form and send the input messages to the flow.

If the input node in the message flow expects an XML message from an associated message model, the message structure is provided and can be edited to produce an appropriate sample input message. Alternatively, you can manually create a new input message, or import an existing message from your file system.

You can duplicate, edit, and delete the messages to create a set of input messages that validate the operation of your message flow, and you can export the content of an input message to a file. To use input messages, you must have a method of invoking the flow.

For more information, see Creating input messages.

You can save and reuse recorded messages that are sent to the following input nodes:

• MQInput node
• HTTPInput node
• SOAPInput node
• FileInput node
• MQTTSubscribe node

If the message flow is part of a REST API, you cannot use recorded messages; however, you can use an external tool or client to form and send input messages to the flow.

You save recorded messages by clicking the highlighted connection from the input node to the next node in the message flow, and clicking the Save icon. You can rename a recorded message but you cannot edit the content of a recorded message, or create a recorded message from scratch.

When you send a recorded message to the message flow, the message is sent to the output terminal of the input node of the message flow. A recorded message is not processed by the input node, and so you do not need a method of invoking the flow.

HTTPReply and SOAPReply nodes can detect that the message that is being processed by the flow is a recorded message. If one of these nodes receives a recorded message, the node suppresses the reply. (Attempting to send a reply would generate an error because there is no external system to receive the reply.)

For more information, see Using recorded messages.