APEX 3.0.1 fails to consume Web Services

Question

I am running APEX 3.0.1 in a 10.2.0.2 EE database on Windows XP.
I am trying to get APEX to use a simple web service that I have created in BPEL. The web service functions perfectly in SoapUI.
APEX seems to be using the response document rather than the request document when invoking the service.
Here is the request generated by APEX:
<inputVariable><part xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="payload"><ns1:Item xmlns:ns1="http://TargetNamespace.com/GetItemResponse">
<ns1:SETID>SHARE</ns1:SETID>
<ns1:ITEM_ID>810002</ns1:ITEM_ID>
</ns1:Item>
</part></inputVariable>
Here is the request generated by SoapUI:
<inputVariable><part xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="payload"><get:Item xmlns:get="http://TargetNamespace.com/GetItemRequest">
<get:SETID>SHARE</get:SETID>
<get:ITEM_ID>810002</get:ITEM_ID>
</get:Item>
</part></inputVariable>
The primary difference is that APEX is referencing GetItemResponse rather than GetItemRequest.
Here is the WSDL:
<definitions name="ItemGet" targetNamespace="http://xmlns.oracle.com/ItemGet" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/" xmlns:tns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/ItemGet" xmlns:ns1="http://TargetNamespace.com/GetItemRequest" xmlns:plnk="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2003/05/partner-link/" xmlns:ns2="http://TargetNamespace.com/GetItemResponse" xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/" xmlns:client="http://xmlns.oracle.com/ItemGet">
<types>
<schema xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<import namespace="http://TargetNamespace.com/GetItemRequest" schemaLocation="GetItemRequest.xsd"/>
</schema>
<schema xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<import namespace="http://TargetNamespace.com/GetItemResponse" schemaLocation="GetItemResponse.xsd"/>
</schema>
</types>
<message name="ItemGetRequestMessage">
<part name="payload" element="ns1:Item"/>
</message>
<message name="ItemGetResponseMessage">
<part name="payload" element="ns2:Root-Element"/>
</message>
<portType name="ItemGet">
<operation name="process">
<input message="tns:ItemGetRequestMessage"/>
<output message="tns:ItemGetResponseMessage"/>
</operation>
</portType>
<binding name="ItemGetBinding" type="tns:ItemGet">
<soap:binding style="document" transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/>
<operation name="process">
<soap:operation style="document" soapAction="process"/>
<input>
<soap:body use="literal"/>
</input>
<output>
<soap:body use="literal"/>
</output>
</operation>
</binding>
<service name="ItemGet">
<port name="ItemGetPort" binding="tns:ItemGetBinding">
<soap:address location="http://xpvm.us.oracle.com:8888/orabpel/default/ItemGet/1.0"/>
</port>
</service>
<plnk:partnerLinkType name="ItemGet">
<plnk:role name="ItemGetProvider">
<plnk:portType name="tns:ItemGet"/>
</plnk:role>
</plnk:partnerLinkType>
</definitions>
As you can see from the WSDL, the input message is tns:ItemGetRequestMessage and the output is tns:ItemGetResponseMessage.
The APEX design time environment is accurately recognizing ItemRequest for the input parameters and ItemResponse for the output parameters.
It looks like a potential APEX bug.
Anyone run into this? Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Kurt

Answer 1

Kurt:
It does look like a bug. I can offer the following workaround.
Create a Manual Web reference as described here:
http://download-west.oracle.com/docs/cd/B32472_01/doc/appdev.300/b32471/advnc.htm#BABCBBHJ
section "Creating a Web Service Manually"
based on the WSDL below, you would enter the following for URL and Action:
URL: http://xpvm.us.oracle.com:8888/orabpel/default/ItemGet/1.0
Action: process
Also, enter a name for an APEX collection to store the response, such as GET_ITEM_RESPONSE.
For the SOAP Envelope, paste in the one that works from SOAPUI or use BPEL Control to get the envelope. Instead of static values for the parameters you use #ITEM_NAME# substitutions. So if the page generated by the wizard was on page 1, it would look something like:
<inputVariable><part xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="payload"><get:Item xmlns:get="http://TargetNamespace.com/GetItemRequest">
<get:SETID>#P1_SETID#</get:SETID>
<get:ITEM_ID>#P1_ITEM_ID#</get:ITEM_ID>
</get:Item>
</part></inputVariable>
(with the proper SOAP Envelope wrapper around it)
Now go to page 1 (assuming that was the page created by the wizard) and remove the current process of type Web service on that page. Add a new process of type Web service, choose Manual, and choose the manual one you created above.
Follow the instructions in the section titled "Displaying Web Service Results in a Report" at the link above to create a report on the result.
There is also an advanced tutorial using Manual Web references you may wish to review:
http://download-west.oracle.com/docs/cd/B32472_01/doc/appdev.300/b32469/web_serv.htm#CHDEFEGH
Hope that helps,
Jason