Copying the post from http://forum.springsource.org/showth...ng-Integration

In the reference manual, there are multiple sections with the heading message endpoints:

1. Section 2.4: http://static.springsource.org/sprin...view-endpoints
2. Chapter 7, Section 7.1: http://static.springsource.org/sprin...ngle/#endpoint

According to EIP http://www.eaipatterns.com/MessageEndpoint.html ,
It is the messaging endpoint code that takes that command or data, makes it into a message, and sends it on a particular messaging channel. It is the endpoint that receives a message, extracts the contents, and gives them to the application in a meaningful way.
Section 2.4 in the reference manual says :
A Message Endpoint represents the "filter" of a pipes-and-filters architecture. As mentioned above, the endpoint's primary role is to connect application code to the messaging framework and to do so in a non-invasive manner. In other words, the application code should ideally have no awareness of the Message objects or the Message Channels
and it includes transformers, routers, etc.. which take in message from a input channel and send it to output channel. Do all these also fall under messaging endpoints? The first line " endpoint represents the filter of a pipes-and-filters " covers all possible components, while the second line onward ( and eip descrription of the pattern) restricts that it is that filter that connects and abstracts application code with the messaging framework.

Chapter 7 has described service activator, gateways, and i interpreted from the eip book that they fill in the shoes as message endpoints as convert a domain object to a message and put it in a channel ( and vice versa).

I feel the current structure mentioning it in 2 different places is a bit confusing also, and hence request a possible editing in the structure.