SAP Cloud Integration uses a canonical data model for internal message processing. The runtime engine internally represents the message body as XML. When an integration flow receives data in other formats, such as JSON or CSV, a converter step is typically used at the beginning of the process to transform the payload into XML. This standardization allows for consistent message manipulation, routing, and transformation using XML-native technologies like XPath and XSLT throughout the subsequent steps of the integration flow.

B. JSON: While JSON is a commonly used format for incoming and outgoing messages, it is not the native internal processing format. It is typically converted to XML for processing.

C. XSLT: XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) is a language for transforming XML documents; it is a processing technology, not a message data format.

1. SAP Help Portal - SAP Integration Suite: The documentation for message converters explicitly details their function. For example

the "JSON to XML Converter" is described as a tool to "convert a message in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format into an XML message." This implies that subsequent processing steps operate on an XML format.

Source: SAP Help Portal

SAP Integration Suite > Cloud Integration > Designing Integration Content > Define Message Converters > JSON to XML Converter.

2. SAP Help Portal - SAP Integration Suite: The "Get Started with Integration Flow Development" guide explains the message structure

which consists of headers

properties

and a body. The processing of this body

especially with mapping and content modification

relies on an XML structure.

Source: SAP Help Portal

SAP Integration Suite > Cloud Integration > Get Started with Integration Flow Development > Basic Concepts > The Message.