Tool Descriptor
A tool is an executable program that can communicate with the client application via input/output parameters. The prerequisites for the attachment of tools are the implementation of interfaces for the tool call-up and the communication with the target system.
A tool is defined in the AWM model by a Tool Descriptor. Every tool in an AWM model is part of a function package. The attributes of a tool descriptor depend on the attributes defined in the AWM model extension for this tool.
A tool descriptor describes a tool in such a way that the model interpreter can execute it and can react to its outputs.
The following are standard attributes defined in a tool descriptor:
- The tool identifier
- Resource operations (for example, Insert element into View)
- Input parameters
- Output parameters
- File parameters
These standard attributes can be extended by attributes defined by the AWM model extension for this tool.
Tool Descriptor (top) and its relationships (dashed boxes, center) to Properties, which are interpreted as input or output parameters.
Example:
The only parameter of the REXX tool “Delete file” is the name of the file that should be deleted. In order to attach this tool, you must define a tool descriptor. The parameter for the file name is described via the “Has_InputParameter” relationship. The relationship should reference a property that fulfils the logical meaning of the parameter itself, namely a property that represents the file name of an element. If the tool descriptor (as a component of an action descriptor) is executed on an element at run time, the property value of the file name property is transferred to the tool as an input parameter (see the figure below).
The “Delete File” tool is shown on the left, together with an associated z/OS file. This situation is transferred to a Workflow model on the right-hand side. The input parameter of the tool descriptor references the same property that the element type has.
If the input parameter is not related to the selected element (or to the selected resource), the “origin” of a parameter can be defined in more detail in the AWM model. An input parameter can also be derived from the output of a previous tool.