Using Functoids to Create More Complex Mappings
Overview
Functoids play a crucial role in many mapping scenarios. Without functoids, you can copy element and attribute data, but you cannot, to any significant extent, manipulate the values themselves. Using functoids, almost any transformation is possible. For example, with a functoid you can take two values from entirely different locations, add them together, and place the sum in the destination schema.
Functoids appear in the Visual Studio Toolbox, one toolbox tab per category, when you are editing a BizTalk map. After you open the Toolbox and choose a category of functoids by clicking on the corresponding tab, you drag the functoid onto a grid page. Then you create input and output links between the functoid and either schema nodes or another functoid. Input links correspond to input parameters and lead to a functoid from the left; an output link corresponds to the output parameter and leaves a functoid to the right.
Like other map elements, functoids have properties. One of the most important properties of a functoid is its set of input parameters. For more information, see How to Add Basic Functoids to a Map.
This section provides step-by-step instructions for working with functoids within BizTalk maps. For reference information about functoids, see the Functoid Reference in the UI guidance and developers API namespace reference.