PRB: Message Fields Are Converted to String Data Type in the Orchestration Designer (304565)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft BizTalk Server 2000
This article was previously published under Q304565

SYMPTOMS

When you add new message fields from a schema that was created with the BizTalk Editor to a port in the BizTalk Orchestration Designer, the XML data types that are used in the schema are converted to a String data type.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because the XLANG engine works with OLE compatible data types. Each XML data type that is used in the schedule must have a corresponding data type that is OLE compatible, otherwise it will be converted to a String OLE compatible data type. For example, an XML data type of Enumeration does not have an OLE compatible data type. Therefore, it is converted to a String data type. The exceptions to this rule are the Bin.hex and Bin.base64 data types, which will also be converted to a String data type.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

The following table maps XML data types to their corresponding OLE compatible data types:

Data TypesAutomation TypesCOM Types
stringVT_BSTRBSTR
numberVT_BSTRBSTR
intVT_I4long
fixed.14.4VT_CYlarge_integer
BooleanVT_BOOLint
dateTimeVT_DATElong
dateTime.tzVT_DATElong
dateVT_DATElong
timeVT_DATElong
time.tzVT_DATElong
i1,byteVT_I1char
i2VT_I2short
i4,intVT_I4long
ui1VT_UI1unsigned char
ui2VT_UI2unsigned short
ui4VT_UI4unsigned long
r4VT_FLOATfloat
r8,floatVT_DOUBLEdouble
deprecatedVT_FLOATfloat
deprecatedVT_DOUBLEdouble
uuidVT_BSTRGUID
uriVT_BSTRBSTR
bin.hexVT_ARRAYsafearray or stream
bin.base64VT_ARRAYsafearray or stream
charVT_UI2wchar


Bin.base64 and Bin.hex data types, and any XML data types that do not have corresponding OLE compatible data types will be converted to the String OLE compatible data type by the XLANG engine.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/5/2003
Keywords:kbprb KB304565
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.