Message
A message is a discrete unit of information or data represented, processed, or exchanged in a communication context.
Spring in Action, Sixth Edition
An integration message is a data-bearing unit that moves through components of an integration flow.
- How it is used
- Carries data between components as an integration flow processes data entering or leaving an application.
- How deep it goes
- Explains message movement through channels and common processing steps, without detailing an integration message implementation.
- Examples
- Illustrates order messages sent and received through JMS and a named channel in a Java DSL flow.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate/understand how messages carry application data through a flow and how channel choice changes their delivery.
Akka in Action, Second Edition
A message is an immutable unit of data exchanged between actors to request processing or communicate an event.
- How it is used
- Connects actors for commands, acknowledgments, and events while avoiding direct method calls.
- How deep it goes
- Defines immutability and asynchronous delivery, then traces ActorRef mailbox handling; distributed location details are deferred.
- Examples
- Uses chat conversations, Mentions notifications, browser updates, and a deposit wallet to demonstrate messages.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Akka to send immutable commands and events among actors without blocking the sender.
Kafka for Architects
A message is a discrete data record transmitted between components through a messaging system.
- How it is used
- Carries event information between Kafka producers and consumers through broker-hosted topics.
- How deep it goes
- Defines message fields and follows storage and consumer polling, without specifying a message schema.
- Examples
- Illustrates address-change notifications for multiple subscribers and separate profile and transaction feeds for a customer dashboard.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate/understand message grouping and retention, and distinguish an offset commit from proof of successful processing.
Quarkus in Action
Message is a reactive-messaging API abstraction that wraps a produced payload and exposes operations for acknowledging or negatively acknowledging the received message.
- How it is used
- Coordinates asynchronous message processing between CDI beans while exposing payload handling and acknowledgement control.
- How deep it goes
- Defines payload wrapping, ack and nack operations, acknowledgement strategies, and chained acknowledgement behavior through a worked consumer.
- Examples
- Uses a manual consumer that processes String payloads and a billing processor that transforms incoming messages with withPayload(...).
- What you can do after
- Apply it via Quarkus Reactive Messaging to inspect payloads, forward messages, and explicitly acknowledge or reject processing.
Starting Data Analytics with Generative AI and Python
A structured record containing a conversational role and the corresponding message content.
- How it is used
- Structures prompts and conversation history for language-model API requests.
- How deep it goes
- Defines roles, content, ordering, and context retention, but does not descend into model internals.
- Examples
- Uses a resonance dialogue, Portuguese sentiment keywords, and a Python chat-completion request.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via the OpenAI API by assembling role-content records and resending conversation history.
Read how Starting Data Analytics with Generative AI and Python explains message →
Bootstrapping Microservices, Second Edition: With Docker, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, and Terraform
A message is a discrete piece of data transmitted between software components to communicate an event, command, or information.
- How it is used
- Coordinates microservices by notifying them about events or commanding them to perform actions.
- How deep it goes
- Defines messages through working direct and indirect communication examples, but defers message-format and protocol internals.
- Examples
- Uses a “Viewed” event, video-streaming and history services, Docker Compose output, and MongoDB collection records.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via HTTP or RabbitMQ and verify message handling through service logs and database records.
Build Python Web Apps with Streamlit
A user message contains the instruction or request submitted on behalf of the person interacting with a language model.
- How it is used
- Structures prompts and conversation history for language-model requests and chat interfaces.
- How deep it goes
- Defines role and content, demonstrates API assembly, and shows state retrieval and rendering without detailing message serialization internals.
- Examples
- Uses a Streamlit explanation request, an OpenAI message list, and a Streamlit loop that renders stored conversation messages.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via the OpenAI Python library and Streamlit to send user requests and display complete chat history.
Read how Build Python Web Apps with Streamlit explains message →
Related concepts
- producerproduced by · A producer is an entity or process that creates or supplies values, data, messages, events, or work for another entity to consume.
- actorused by · An actor is an independent entity or participant that performs actions, maintains or pursues state or goals, and interacts with other entities or systems.
- sink nodeused by · A sink node is a terminal or receiving component in a data or flow system that accepts incoming data, messages, or flow for consumption, processing, or storage.
- distributed systemused by · A distributed system is a computing system whose components run across multiple networked processes or machines and coordinate through communication.
- workflowused by · A workflow is an organized sequence of coordinated activities, tasks, or decisions through which work progresses toward an outcome.
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