What is the minimum requirement for mapping the output of a Preceding activity to the input of a mapper?

To map the output of a preceding activity to a subsequent activity (in this case, a Mapper), the target activity must have a defined input schema. This input schema acts as the destination for the data mapping. The TIBCO BusinessWorks design environment automatically makes the output of all preceding activities available in the "Data Source" panel of the mapper view. However, a mapping cannot be created until a corresponding data element is defined in the "Input" tab of the target activity, which serves as the mapping's destination.

A. Define a data element for the input of the Preceding activity.

The input of the preceding activity is irrelevant for mapping its output to a subsequent activity.

C. Define an output data element of the Mapper activity.

The Mapper's output is the result of the transformation; it is not the target for the initial input mapping.

D. Define a data element in the Input tab of the Preceding and Mapper activity.

This is not the minimum requirement, as the input of the preceding activity is not necessary for this specific mapping action.

1. TIBCO BusinessWorks™ Container Edition Application Development Guide (Software Release 2.8, April 2023), Chapter 7: Mapping and Transforming Data, Section: "Mapping and Transforming Data", Page 163. The guide states, "The right panel of the mapper displays the activity's input schema. You can define the activity's input schema on this panel." This confirms that the target activity's input schema must be defined to receive the mapping.

2. TIBCO BusinessWorks™ Concepts Guide (Software Release 6.9, April 2023), Chapter 3: Process Design, Section: "Data and Mapping", Page 26. The documentation explains, "The input schema defines the data the activity expects to receive... You map data from the output of one activity to the input of a subsequent activity." This establishes the fundamental principle that a defined input schema is the target for any mapping.