CXML-HEADER

cXML Header is the root <Header> element of the cXML DTD that groups the From/To/Sender blocks and identifies the emitter, the receiver and the source application of a message.

Definition

The <Header> is a mandatory child of containing three blocks: <From>, <To> and <Sender>. Each holds typed <Credential> elements (NetworkId, DUNS, etc.) that legally identify the parties involved in the exchange, independently of transport-layer routing (HTTP, AS2).

Origin

<Header> has been defined since cXML 1.0 (Ariba, 1999). Its structure is stable across versions (1.2.069 being the most recent widely deployed), guaranteeing historical interoperability.

Use

Every cXML message — Order, Invoice, PunchOutSetupRequest — starts with a <Header>. Without a valid <Header>, SAP Ariba Network gateways reject the request with a 400-level error before any application-layer processing.

Related terms

• cXML — the parent standard.
• cXML From — the emitter block.
• cXML To — the receiver block.
• cXML Sender — the sender-application block.