Manipulation of complex variables in orchestration applications

A method for facilitating mapping data from a source complex variable to a target complex variable during a process orchestration flow, the method comprising:

• analyzing a statement involving performance of an operation on a target complex variable, wherein the operation involves transferring of data from one or more elements of a source complex variable to one or more elements of the target complex variable, wherein a first subset of the one or more elements exist in both the source complex variable and the target complex variable and a second subset of the one or more elements do not exist in the target complex variable;
• confirming, at design time of a process orchestration flow that specifies the operation, based on the analyzing, whether:
• the source complex variable and the target complex variable are of compatible data types;
• and
• the one or more elements of the source complex variable and the target complex variable include or accommodate a compatible number of element instances;
• processing, during runtime of the process orchestration flow, a target schema of the target complex variable in view of the statement, so as to determine how to implement the operation;
• and
• implementing the operation for transferring of the data based on results of the processing wherein the second subset of the one or more elements are created in the target complex variable if the second subset are described by the target schema.

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable for:
• analyzing a statement involving performance of an operation on a target complex variable, wherein the operation involves transferring of data from one or more elements of a source complex variable to one or more elements of the target complex variable, wherein a first subset of the one or more elements exist in both the source complex variable and the target complex variable and a second subset of the one or more elements do not exist in the target complex variable;
• confirming, at design time of a process orchestration flow that specifies the operation, based on the analyzing, whether:
• the source complex variable and the target complex variable are of compatible data types;
• and
• the one or more elements of the source complex variable and the target complex variable include or accommodate a compatible number of element instances;
• processing, during runtime of the process orchestration flow, a target schema of the target complex variable in view of the statement, so as to determine how to implement the operation;
• and
• implementing the operation for transferring of the data based on results of the processing, wherein the second subset of the one or more elements are created in the target complex variable if the second subset are described by the target schema.