User Guide

• User Guide
  • WebService Explorer
    • Overview
    • Fetching WSDL structure
    • Filling parameters
    • Invoking method
    • Retrieving response
    • Error handling
  • JavaScript Code Generator

The user guide contains description of WebService  Explorer development tool, to use AJAX WebService Component  please use tutorial and API reference sections.

WebService  Explorer

Overview

WebService  Explorer tool provides simple and user friendly way to explore web services, invoke any operations and discover their results from WebService easy. It can be used:

• When you searching optimal webservice from existing list of same services and could not make a decision which operation is better for you
• When you have 3^rd party complex web service with large WSDL definition; and you have no any wishes to build couple of test applications to discover the behavior details
• When you created an WebService  and want to provide functional tests
• When you need to provide fast presentation for other people what your web service provides exactly
• When you need to find such operation parameters’ and their types
• And more and more.

In basics, WebService  Explorer works easy; you able to launch HTML page from server or from your local drive, provide WSDL URL and enjoy with playing against web service you chosen.

With simple providing URL to WSDL location you’ll get the ability to explore all methods, input parameters, invoke that methods, see methods results, understand WebService -specific complex types, and more and more.

So the typical use case is:

• Fetching WSDL structure
• Exploring WebService methods
• Filling inputs (including support of Arrays, Complex types, Collections)
• Invoking method
• Analyzing response

The typical view of WebService  Explorer is:

Here you can see 4 different panels:

• Operation panel, which contains WSDL location and supplementary control
• Meta-Information panel; here you can see all services and operations with relevant information to WSDL data
• Invoke  panel, with ability to fill  input parameters and invoke service
• Result panel, with responses.

So user guide describes these panel in that order.

Fetching WSDL structure

To start work with “WebService  Explorer” you need to insert WSDL URL to “WSDL url” input field and then press “Load WSDL” button.

If URL is correct the WSDL structure should be appear shortly at the right corner.

This screen helps you to explore WebService  WSDL in simple, friendly way. This panel does not describes parameters and their types; you need to choose required operation first to follow next panel.

Filling parameters

The first what you have to do is clicking (selecting) certain method. There is one way to see “Invoke  panel”. Here you can add value to inputs (filling request parameters).If some parameter is a Collection or Array you may click to input label to add new one input with the same name.

Note: to support collections, WebService  Explorer provides that collections without given exact type of sub-elements treated as string-based collections, so there is possible limitation for such services without proper WSDL definitions.

Invoking method

To invoke web method please fill  parameters, and simply click “Invoke ” button. By clicking “Invoke” WebService  Explorer creates XML request and sends to destination WebService. If no any errors occur, the next panel will be shown and filled.

Retrieving response

When response from WebService has successfully retrieved, you’ll see “Result panel”.

This panel contains all elements from response as read-only input with labels.

Error handling

There are three error types may occurs in WebService  Explorer and in AJAX WebService Component :

• Problems with transport level (http).
• WebService  application/server error.
• XML/JavaScript unavailability.

JavaScript Code Generator

The JavaScript Code Generator is not included to AJAX DHTML Component and to WebService  Explorer now and should be purchased separately.