You can use an XML facade to simplify DOM manipulation. Oracle BPEL Process Manager and Oracle Mediator provides a lightweight Java Architecture for XML Binding (JAXB)-like Java object model on top of XML (called a facade). An XML facade provides a Java bean-like front end for an XML document or element that has a schema. Facade classes can provide easy manipulation of the XML document and element in Java programs.

You add the XML facade by using a createFacade method within the bpelx:exec statement in the .bpel file. The following provides an example:

 <bpelx:exec name= ...
    <![CDATA
     ...
    Element element = ...
         (Element)getVariableData("input","payload","/loanApplication/"):
    //Create an XMLFacade for the Loan Application Document
    LoanApplication xmlLoanApp=
         LoanApplicationFactory.createFacade(element);
 ...