Nested Classes Web Services

The use of Classes in Web Services will be explained using the Class 'Car' and its member classes, which are already defined in the section "Nested Classes" on the "Usage of Classes" page.

Provided Web Service for nested classes

Provided Web Service Routine

As example the following Provided Web Service routine is created in a Web Service enabled Form:

routine class_nested_test (var auto : car)
begin_routine

    if auto =NULL
        auto        := car.create ()
        auto.engine := enginetype.create ()
        auto.tires  := tiretype.create ()
    endif

    auto.carbody          := 'Hatchback'
    auto.color            := 'Progressive Black'
    auto.engine.cylinders := 2
    auto.engine.power     := 63
    auto.tires.width      := 185
    auto.tires.diameter   := 15

end_routine

When no instance is passed to the routine a new one is created, then the field members are filled with new values and the result is available to the Provided Web Service through the as var defined parameter.


Until AMT 84 'classes' and 'lists' as a routine result parameter were not supported for use with Provided Web Services. Only 'classes' and 'lists' as var defined parameters were supported for use with Provided Web Services. With the release of AMT 84 both 'lists' and 'classes' are supported as routine results including for use with Provided Web Services.

Creating the Provided Web Service

From this routine a new Provided Web Service can be created using the normal procedure as shown in the Web Services help pages. The resulting Operations view will look like the example below.

The returned type should be the Class type and the length will be 1. The Provided Web Service can now be generated and configured in the Provided Web Services web.config and the appropriate <PortType>.ini file.

Testing the Provided Web Service

The Provided Web Service can then be tested using Soap UI as shown below. Best is to import the WSDL into Soap UI using the Web Service itself. Because of the var usage in the Provide Web Service routine dummy input values are needed in the request.

Returned are the Field members values from the Instance of the Class as shown above.

Consumable Web Service for nested classes

Creating the Consumable Web Service

For the consumable web service, the previously created nested class provided web service example will be used in the same way as shown in the Web Services help pages. The resulting Operations view will look like the example below.

A new class type with the same name as the original will be created from the provided class. This is a local class definition with member classes in the Consumable Web Service object, which can be viewed in the Implementation > Definitions menu option.

This local class can be used in other objects to create an instance of it, which can then be filled by a call to the consumable web service.

Consumable Web Service Report

In a report this could look like the following example:

begin_definitions
const

var

    fleetcar : cws_class_nested.car

booleans

end_definitions

routine main
begin_routine

    fleetcar        := cws_class_nested.car.create ()
    fleetcar.engine := cws_class_nested.enginetype.create ()
    fleetcar.tires  := cws_class_nested.tiretype.create ()

    cws_class_nested.basichttpbinding_iport_class_nested.class_nested_test ( fleetcar )

    sme ( fleetcar.carbody, fleetcar.engine.power )

end_routine

First a variable (fleetcar) is defined as the local class of the consumable web service, then an instance of the class is created as well as instances of its member classes. This instance is used in the call to the consumable web service, which fills it with data from the provided form routine (see the top of this page).