CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#web-services
ajeh
ajeh

Reputation: 2784

How to pass an object of custom class containing a custom list to a web service?

I have to implement a simple conventional web service in VS2008 C#, which would receive an Order class object, which contains a list of Product class objects. The problem arises when I create an instance of an Order class object on the client. It is declared in the proxy and does not contain any methods, thus I have no opportunity to add Products, as List of Products is now simply a System.Array.

One method which works fine is to manually serialize into XML on the client and de-serialize in the web service. This way I would be using same class declaration which I isolated into a DLL shared between web service and client application. However, I am being told that it is possible to avoid using a shared DLL and manual serialization althogether, but I just don't understand how, i.e. how do I need to declare/define Order class and where in order for it to have methods on the client?

Currently the classes are defined as follows in the shared DLL:

namespace MyNS
{
    [Serializable]
    public class ProductInfo { 
        public Int32 ProductID;
        public Int32 Quantity;
        public decimal CurrPrice;

        public VE_ProductInfo() { 
            ProductID = 0;
            Quantity = 0;
            CPrice = 0;
        }

        public ProductInfo(Int32 pId, Int32 quant, decimal cprice)
        {
            ProductID = pId;
            Quantity = quant;
            CPrice = cprice;
        }
    }

    [Serializable]
    public class OrderInfo
    {
        public Int32 CustomerId = 0;

        public OrderInfo () {
            Items = new List<ProductInfo>();
        }

        [XmlArray]
        public List<ProductInfo> Items {get; set;}

        public string SpecialInstructions;

        public void AddProduct(ProductInfo pi)
        {
            Items.Add(pi);
        }
    }
}

This class is then used in a web service method as follows:

public bool CreateOrder(OrderInfo Order) {
    // some code
}

And it is called as follows from the client:

WebService.MyWebService s;

WebService.OrderInfo o = new WebService.OrderInfo();

o.CustomerId = 1;
o.Items.Add(new ProductInfo(2, 4));
o.Items.Add(new ProductInfo(1, 2, 3.95m));

checkBox1.Checked = s.CreateOrder(o);

Upvotes: 0

Views: 3275

Answers (2)

moron4hire
moron4hire

Reputation: 713

If you provide a default constructor and field initializers for the classes shared between the application and web service, then you can put the classes in a separate library project that both projects reference. When you add the web service reference to the application, it will generate a few proxy classes that match the data "shape" of your object, sans methods. You can delete those classes (I don't remember exactly where they are located) and add a using statement to the web service proxy class file itself to import your shared classes and they will work appropriately.

Upvotes: 1

Jason Steele
Jason Steele

Reputation: 1606

If your web service is a WCF one and you created a proxy for it by adding a web reference you should be able to change it by editing the refernce in Visual Studio. Right Click on it and select "Configure Service Reference" then choose a Collection type of List.

Upvotes: 1

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