Building a Web Service

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Astron International, Inc.

• Building a Web Service
• HDNUG
• October 24, 2001

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Topics

• What Is A Web Service?
• Web Service Architecture
• Types Of Services
• Static Information
• Database
• Processing
• Creating A Web Service
• Consuming A Web Service
• Case Study Metal Pricing Web Service
• Q A

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What is a Web Service?

• A Web Service is a unit of application logic
  providing data and services to other
  applications. Applications access Web Services
  via ubiquitous Web protocols and data formats
  such as HTTP, XML, and SOAP, with no need to
  worry about how each Web Service is implemented.
  Web Services combine the best aspects of
  component-based development and the Web, and are
  a cornerstone of the Microsoft .NET programming
  model.

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Web Service Architecture

• Basic structure of a Web Service

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Types of Services

• Static Information
• Returns information that is hard coded into the
  service, such as Hello World
• Database
• Retrieves data from a data source, such as SQL
  Server, and returns it
• Processing
• Performs some type of processing, such as
  calculating the Reorder Levels for an inventory
  application

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Creating a Web Service

• Design The Web Service
• Create The Web Service Project In VS.Net
• Develop The Web Service
• Test And Debug The Web Service
• Deploy The Web Service
• Create a Client application to consume the service

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Designing a Web Service

• Decide On The Target Audience
• Which Language, VB or C or
• Outline The Process

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Creating a Web Service Project

• Click File ? New and then click Project
• In the New Project dialog box, select either the
  Visual Basic Projects or Visual C Projects
  folder
• Click the ASP.NET Web Service icon
• Change the name of the project
• Enter the address of a Web server on which you
  will develop the Web Service. By default, the
  project will use your local machine,
  http//localhost
• Click OK to create the project

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Developing aWeb Service

• Add a WebMethodAttribute Class
• Add the required code
• Save the project

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Testing and Debugging aWeb Service

• Set a breakpoint in the Web Service code
• Set the Start Page
• Start the project in Debug Mode
• Click the Operation that is supported on the
  Service Helper Page
• Click the Invoke button to test the Web Service

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Deploying aWeb Service

• Web Services are made up of two applications
  the Web Service, and the Client.
• Deploy the Web Service to a Web server that is
  accessible to the clients you wish to support
• Add a Web Setup project to your solution
• Copy the required files to the destination server

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Adding a Web Setup Project

• On the File menu, point to Add Project and then
  click New Project
• Select the Setup and Deployment Projects folder
  and then click Web Setup Project
• In Solution Explorer, right-click on the project
  name, point to Add, and then click Project Output
  
• In the Add Project Output Group dialog box,
  select Primary output, Debug Symbols and Content
  Files. Click OK
• On the Build menu, click Build Solution

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Copying the Required Files

• Build the project
• On the Project menu, click Copy Project.
• In the Destination project folder box, enter the
  location to which you want to copy the project.
• Click either FrontPage or File share to select a
  Web access method. For more information, see
  Changing Web Project Access Methods.
• Click Only files needed to run this application.
• Click OK

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Consuming a Web Service

• Create a Client Project
• Add a Web Reference
• Create the Interface
• Write the Code
• Run the Application
• Deploy the Client

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Creating a Client Project

• On the File menu, point to New, and then click
  Project to open the New Project dialog box.
• Expand either the Visual Basic Projects or the
  Visual C Projects folder.
• Click the ASP.NET Web Application icon.

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Adding a Web Reference

• On the Project menu, click Add Web Reference
• In the Address box of the Add Web Reference
  dialog box, type the URL to the .disco file of
  the Web Service you want to access or If you
  created the Web Service on your local machine,
  click the Web References on Local Web Server link
  
• When you obtain the discovery document, select
  the desired Web Service in the Available
  references box
• Click Add Reference to add a Web reference for
  the target Web Service. Visual Studio will
  download the service description and generate a
  proxy class to interface between your application
  and the Web Service
• In Solution Explorer, expand the Web References
  folder
• Rename the Web reference if necessary

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Creating the User Interface

• Add the Controls to the Design Page

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Write the Code

• Add Code to the Button1_Click Event

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Run the Code

• Press F5 to build the project and run the code
• The client application will start and access the
  TempConvert1 Web Service

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Deploy the Code

• Create a Web Setup Project just like in the Web
  Service Section
• Build the Project

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Web Service Case Study

• Clients Business Challenge
• Clients Web Service Architecture
• Benefits to Client

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Clients Business Challenge

• Client corporation required a means to present
  updated precious metal prices to its customers
  on a daily basis
• Clients desire is to provide the updates
  automatically, each day, as they are posted to
  their mainframe

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Clients Web ServiceArchitecture
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Benefits to Client

• Automated Pricing Updates
• One Source Pricing
• 24 X 7 Customer Access
• Excellent ROI
• Professional Look
• Industry Leading Technology
• Reusable Resource

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Q A