How to process messages

There are 4 steps to setup the military message processing in a Java SE application:

1. Create the MessageGroupLayer to be used by the Message Processor
2. Create the Message
3. Populate the Message
4. Process the Message

1. Create the MessageGroupLayer to be used by the Message Processor

   When messages are processed, they will be displayed in a MessageGroupLayer. This layer needs to be added to a map after a map service, specifying the Symbol Dictionary which is to be used. The following code shows an example of a MessageGroupLayer which processes and displays MIL-STD-2525C symbology.

   ArcGISTiledMapServiceLayer tiledLayer = new ArcGISTiledMapServiceLayer(
   	"http://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Street_Map/MapServer");
   map.getLayers().add(tiledLayer);
   
   MessageGroupLayer msgGroupLayer = new MessageGroupLayer(SymbolDictionary.DictionaryType.Mil2525C);
   map.getLayers().add(msgGroupLayer);
   

2. Create the Message

   Once the message group layer is fully initialized, messages can be processed using the message processor. The workflow for this is to first create and populate a Message (com.esri.core.symbol.advanced.Message).

   Messages are based on a Dictionary <String, String> and will contain entries based on chosen military symbology (SymbolDictionary.DictionaryType) which was set in the MessageGroupLayer constructor.

   Message message = new Message();
   

3. Populate the Message

   The message can then be processed using the MessageProcessor which is associated with the MessageGroupLayer create above.

   message.setID("1879");
   message.setProperty("_type", "position_report");
   message.setProperty("_action", "update");
   message.setProperty("_control_points", "7843536.41455,4088224.16202");
   message.setProperty("_WKID", 3857);
   message.setProperty("sic","GFGPOPP-------X");
   message.setProperty("UniqueDesignation", "1");
   

4. Process the Message

   Call the processMessage method. This message once processed will be visible in the map.

   msgGroupLayer.getMessageProcessor().processMessage(message);
   

In the example above, the message has been supplied in the WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere (wkid = 3857) spatial reference. If the spatial reference of the message is not supplied, then the default spatial reference of the MessageProcessor will be used.