Definition: message based

A communications interface between two systems that is based on a set of text commands. A message-based system is a type of client/server relationship, in which requests are made by a client component, and the results are provided by a server component. A message-based protocol implies more flexibility for future development than a protocol in which the format of the commands dictates where each part of the command resides. Changes need only be made in the text messages themselves rather than the message structure.