Universal Web Services Consumer using HTTP POST

• Download UniversalWSComsumer_demo.zip - 58.9 KB
• Download UniversalWSComsumer_src.zip - 1.6 KB

Introduction

Consume Web Services without adding a Web Reference to the Project

Using the code

Use the WSRequestHelper class to consume the Web Service, Tested on some of this Public Web Services(http://www.xmethods.org/)

Properties

 Constructor for the Class
 'The object that will manage the Soap Request
  Dim SoapHelper As New WSRequestHelper(Me.txtWSDLAddress.Text, Me.txtMethod.Text)
 'Calling the Web Service
  Me.txtWSResponse.Text = SoapHelper.CallWebService().InnerText

Core of the WSRequestHelper Class
'Create the WebClient
Dim Request As New WebClient
'Set up the request
Request.Headers.Add("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded")

Making the Call inside the class
'Request to the WS
Dim Req As WebClient = CreateRequest()
'Soap Message to send
Dim MessageToPost As String = CreateMessage()
Return Req.UploadString(Me.PostURL, "POST", MessageToPost)
'Request to the WS
Dim Req As WebClient = CreateRequest()

Points of Interest

The Call to the Web service uses HTTP Post for the request so, may be some Methods cannot be invoked with this approach, the code has not been tested with complex types. To use Soap use the Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.SoapMessage Class, it works I have used with some Cold Fusion Web Services