9. The method of claim 8 comprising: repeating the operations of identifying a start search tag, applying the at least one transformation function to pre-transform message data in the message from the start search tag to the end search tag, and integrating the post transform data into the message for each start search tag encountered when parsing the message, such that application of the plurality of transformations is performed to transform each portion of the message delineated by the start and end search tags according to the transformation associated with those search tags.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the sequence of transformations specified in the rule set identifies a first transformation and a second transformation and wherein post-transform message data that is output from the operation of applying the first transformation function to pre-transform message data in the message is used as input to an operation of applying the second transformation, such that the first and second transformation are applied in a sequential manner.