Retrieving M3 API descriptions

The model retriever for M3 is capable of retrieving details about any or all of the M3 APIs in use on a given M3 installation (including customization details). However, because of the large number of APIs available, the model file for M3 can become very large, thereby interfering with the performance of your application. You should therefore retrieve only those APIs that you are planning to use in your web application.

To use the M3 model retriever

  1. From the Data Source tab, Right-click on your M3 data source and select Retrieve.

    Infor e-Commerce Development Studio contacts M3 (via the retrieve on your application server) and fetches a list of APIs available from you M3 installation.

  2. Select each API that you will use.

    Do not simply select all APIs because this will create a very large model file that will interfere with the performance of your application.

    If the API list does not appear, check the communication setup displayed at the top of the window. If necessary, you can change these settings and then click on Refresh to try again.

  3. Click OK once you have finished selecting the appropriate APIs.

The model file is saved in a sub-folder of the Working Folder for your application and is named after the name you gave to the M3 data source. For example, if you named your data source "myM3", then the data model for it would be:

<Working Folder>\datasources\myM3.mod

The model file is saved in XML format, so you can view it with any text or XML editor (or even with a web browser). It contains details about the following:

Which programs and transactions are available with the APIs you have selected.

The input parameters required for each transaction and the rules for arranging these into an input command. Input strings must be of a fixed length in which requests, parameters and other input are specified at specific locations.

The output fields returned by each transaction.

This information will be useful as you design the business objects that will interact with M3 and the mapping files to connect these objects to the API (see below).

Do not edit the model file manually. The details it contains are required in order for the communication to work correctly. Among other things, the definitions for how to compose the input strings are used to format the input parameters submitted by your business objects.