.NET Proxy › Executing the Sample Applications › Web Service Sample

Web Service Sample

The generation and installation process creates everything you need to deploy the .NET proxy as a web service. However, no sample client application is created. Third-party products are available that can be used to create client applications based on the web service WSDL.

Deploying the .NET proxy as a web service requires using Microsoft's IIS to host the proxy. In the same location where the sample .asmx files are generated for the ASP.NET sample are some generated .asmx files. These .asmx files instruct IIS to treat any method within the referenced proxy class marked as a [WebMethod] as a published web service. IIS will then automatically generate the WSDL for the web service.

Follow the instructions under the ASP.NET Sample section to deploy the ASP.NET sample and proxy. Ensure that the .asmx files are also deployed into the virtual directory.

Note: The .aspx and .htm files are optional for deploying the proxy as a web service.

After creating the alias to the directory, start IIS and enter the following URL (assumes the alias created is called myalias):

http://localhost/myalias/<method-name>.asmx

IIS will display an information page about the web service. This page can be used to retrieve the WSDL and browse the available web methods. The information typically supports providing a test page to exercise the web service. Unfortunately, IIS can only provide the test page for web services that use primitive data types for parameters. The .NET proxy's import and export data parameters are too complex for IIS test pages to handle.

There are third-party products that are able to provide automatic generation of test harnesses/applications based on a WSDL to verify the web services. It is suggested that some third-party product be utilized to help verify the web services and also generate the client side classes needed to call a web service from an application.

Writing client code to call the web service usually involves using a tool to generate the some client-side proxy code. Microsoft's Visual Studio is capable of consuming a web service and generating the client-side proxy code. There are also other products capable of consuming a web service. Using one of these products should probably be considered a starting point to creating a client application to call the .NET proxy as a web service.