Call (consume) a webservice from ABAP for dummies

Question

Hi
I find the documentation for this topic very confusing. It a badly structured mix of documentation of client scenarios, server scenarios and worst of all a lot of XI nonsense.
I need purely client scenario documentation without any info about XI and without any info about creating web services.
I just need to know how to consume a web based webservice in ABAP program. Where can I find this docu?
I have tried to generate proxies from different WSDL sources, but it always fails with different error messages.
Can anyone suggest a simple WSDL webservice usefull for testing my setup?
Best regards
Thomas Madsen Nielsen

Answer 1

You are right, the help files do mix consuming and creating, but they do provide a list of steps for consuming and what you need to do.  To consume a web service, the general steps you need to follow are:
- Create an extendable package with use accesses SAI_SXMS, SAI_TOOLS, SAPPINT
- Create a proxy class using the wizard in SE80 (right click on the package -> Create -> Enterprise Service) - the creation of the class depends on the WSDL document - you can either generate based on the url  for the WSDL or download the WSDL document and import it as a file in the wizard.  You may need to tinker with the WSDL document to get the class generation to complete successfully. Your WSDL is here: [http://maptp12.map24.com/map24/webservices1.5?soap=Map24Routing]
- Create a logical port in LPCONFIG or SOAMANAGER (assumes NW 7.0 SP14 or later) with information in the WSDL
- Create a program to consume the service method - it will look something like this (abbreviated):
DATA: gv_client_proxy  TYPE REF TO zcwsbb_co_global_weather_soap,
      gv_sys_exception TYPE REF TO cx_ai_system_fault.
DATA: gs_request   TYPE zcwsbb_get_weather_soap_in,
      gs_response  TYPE zcwsbb_get_weather_soap_out,
      gs_weather   TYPE zst_currentweather.
DATA: gv_message   TYPE string.
TRY.
    CREATE OBJECT gv_client_proxy.
    CALL METHOD gv_client_proxy->get_weather
      EXPORTING
        input  = gs_request
      IMPORTING
        output = gs_response.
  CATCH cx_ai_system_fault INTO gv_sys_exception.
    CALL METHOD gv_sys_exception->if_message~get_text
      RECEIVING
        result = gv_message.
    WRITE: gv_message.
    FREE: gv_client_proxy, gv_sys_exception.
    EXIT.
ENDTRY.
- Transform the response as required using ST or XSLT