How to Use SOAPArray to Exchanged Data with a Web Service

Question

The method of a prototype Web service I created is defined to take many parameters
and return an object of a user defined class. Furthermore, the user defined class
includes data elements of another user defined class and the Java ArrayList class.
This works with a Java client referencing the WebLogic created client.jar file
but I don't know how well it will work with a non-Java client. In particular,
with Perl which is the language that will be used by the developer who first will
test with the prototype.
In posts to this newsgroup use of "language-specific, generic containers" has
been discouraged and the "language-agnostic" SOAPArray recommended. I have searched
this newgsroup and the Web for examples of how to use a SOAPArray in a Web service
EJB to receive parameters and return results but found none.
Will someone refer me to an example or give an overview of how a Java Web service
EJB running in WebLogic 6.1 would use SOAPArray to get parameter values and return
results?
Also, I would like confirmation that it is best to use SOAPArray to exchange data
with a Web service to achieve the goal of a service accessible by any language.
Thank you.

Answer 1

Replies in-line:
How are the structures, e.g. gltrans-workType, defined in the Web service?The structure is made up of nested Java Beans, but this does not mean that the
client for your web service has to be written in Java. The WSDL that I sent contains
everything that a .NET-based (or Perl-based, or Python-based, or VB-based, or
C++ based) Web Service Stack needs to correctly create all the data types in the
web services' signature! That's the beauty of XML Schema! It's programming language
independent :-)
In
other words, what definition in Java resulted in the WSDL statements?The WSDL wasn't produced by WLS 6.1, but it (WLS 6.1) can consume it.
What is the signature of method submitGLTransWorkAsJavaBean() in the
Web service?public void submitGLTransWorkAsJavaBean(GlTransactionsCpyType glTransactionsCpyType)
GlTransactionsCpyType is the outer-most Java Bean. WLS 6.1 does not generate
Java Beans for you, but it will use ones that you defined. See the Java Bean tutorial
on the Javasoft sitem for details on how to create a Java Bean.
Was the WSDL generated using the WL tools for creating a Web service?No.
Conclusion:
You asked for someone to provide you with an example of how to use SOAP array
in a WSDL, which is what the attached file contained :-) What you want to do now
is find a tool that can generate Java Bean code from this WSDL (Apache Axis has
a wsdl2java tool that should work), or create the Java Beans yourself. Afterwards,
create a WLS 6.1 Web Service a expose it for a Perl or .NET client.
Regards,
Mike Wooten
"Jeff Carey" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
Please elaborate.
How are the structures, e.g. gltrans-workType, defined in the Web service?
In
other words, what definition in Java resulted in the WSDL statements?
What is the signature of method submitGLTransWorkAsJavaBean() in the
Web service?
Was the WSDL generated using the WL tools for creating a Web service?
Thank you.
"Michael Wooten" <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Jeff,
Sounds like a pretty cool prototype :-)
I have attached a WSDL (at the bottom of this post) that contains a<schema>
that
uses a SOAPArray to create an array of a <complexType>.
HTH,
Mike Wooten
"Jeff Carey" <[email protected]> wrote:
The method of a prototype Web service I created is defined to take
many
parameters
and return an object of a user defined class. Furthermore, the user
defined class
includes data elements of another user defined class and the Java ArrayList
class.
This works with a Java client referencing the WebLogic created client.jar
file
but I don't know how well it will work with a non-Java client. Inparticular,
with Perl which is the language that will be used by the developerwho
first will
test with the prototype.
In posts to this newsgroup use of "language-specific, generic containers"
has
been discouraged and the "language-agnostic" SOAPArray recommended.
I have searched
this newgsroup and the Web for examples of how to use a SOAPArray in
a Web service
EJB to receive parameters and return results but found none.
Will someone refer me to an example or give an overview of how a Java
Web service
EJB running in WebLogic 6.1 would use SOAPArray to get parameter values
and return
results?
Also, I would like confirmation that it is best to use SOAPArray toexchange
data
with a Web service to achieve the goal of a service accessible by any
language.
Thank you.