Using utl_dbws to call web service

Question

We're calling a web service using utl_dbws and getting a response but the problem is the parameters. I haven't been able to find much documentation about how to use the utl_dbws package and have only one example to work from so could do with some expert help.
The following code calls the webservice:
procedure call_web_service(p_application_key in number,
out_success_message out varchar2)
is
v_service utl_dbws.service;
v_call utl_dbws.call;
v_service_qname utl_dbws.qname;
v_port_qname utl_dbws.qname;
v_operation_qname utl_dbws.qname;
v_string_type_qname utl_dbws.qname;
v_return anydata;
v_send_data anydata;
v_return_string varchar2 (100);
v_return_length number;
v_parameter_string varchar2(32767);
v_params utl_dbws.anydata_list;
v_interview_xml xmltype;
v_policy_number varchar2(14);
-- return parameters
v_interviewId varchar2(1000);
v_statusType varchar2(1000);
v_error_reason varchar2(1000);
begin
message_handler.set_module_name('ostp_to_xpb.call_web_service');
message_handler.set_current_process('retrieve generated xml');
begin
     select upload_xml, extractvalue(upload_xml, '/interview/externalReferenceNumber') policy_number
     into v_interview_xml, v_policy_number
          from xpb_upload_data
     where application_key = p_application_key
          and extractvalue(upload_xml, '/interview/externalReferenceNumber') is not null;
--dbms_output.put_line('xml retrieved');
     exception
     when no_data_found then     
          v_success_message := 'No xml found for application_key = '||p_application_key;
          raise v_procedure_error;
     end;
     message_handler.set_current_process('call web service');
-- create service
v_service_qname := utl_dbws.to_qname (null, 'xpertBridge');
v_service := utl_dbws.create_service (v_service_qname);
-- create call
v_port_qname := utl_dbws.to_qname (null, 'xpertBridgePort');
v_operation_qname :=
utl_dbws.to_qname
('http://m0154ukdox1/xpertBridgeEDSLV/services/xpertBridge',
'orcaAppUpload'
v_call := utl_dbws.create_call (v_service, v_port_qname, v_operation_qname);
-- set endpoint
utl_dbws.set_target_endpoint_address
(v_call,
'http://m0154ukdox1/xpertBridgeEDSLV/services/xpertBridge'
-- set type of input and output parameters
v_string_type_qname :=
utl_dbws.to_qname ('http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema', 'string');
utl_dbws.add_parameter (v_call,
'orcaXml',
v_string_type_qname,
'ParameterMode.IN'
utl_dbws.add_parameter (v_call,
'interviewId',
v_string_type_qname,
'ParameterMode.OUT'
utl_dbws.add_parameter (v_call,
'status',
v_string_type_qname,
'ParameterMode.OUT'
utl_dbws.add_parameter (v_call,
'errorReason',
v_string_type_qname,
'ParameterMode.OUT'
utl_dbws.set_return_type (v_call, v_string_type_qname);
-- convert xmltype to string for call
select xmlserialize(document v_interview_xml)
into v_parameter_string
from dual;
v_params (1) := anydata.convertvarchar(v_parameter_string);
-- call
v_return := utl_dbws.invoke (v_call, v_params);
-- values which can be returned are Success / MessageError / ApplicationError
v_return_string := v_return.accessvarchar2;
dbms_output.put_line ('Message returned is: ' || nvl(v_return_string, 'No success message returned'));
-- retrieve out parameters
v_interviewId := v_params(2).accessvarchar2;
dbms_output.put_line ('Message returned is: ' || nvl(v_interviewId, 'No interviewId returned'));
v_statusType := v_params(3).accessvarchar2;
dbms_output.put_line ('Message returned is: ' || nvl(v_statusType, 'No status type returned'));
v_error_reason := v_params(4).accessvarchar2;
dbms_output.put_line ('Message returned is: ' || nvl(v_error_reason, 'No error reason returned'));
-- release call
utl_dbws.release_call ( v_call );
-- release services
utl_dbws.release_service ( v_service );
message_handler.set_module_finish;
exception
when others then
out_success_message := message_handler.formatted_error_message;
end call_web_service;
Here is an excerpt from the WSDL relating to the call being made:
     <xs:element name="orcaAppUpload">
                    <xs:annotation>
                         <xs:documentation xml:lang="en">Message payload XML</xs:documentation>
                    </xs:annotation>
                    <xs:complexType>
                         <xs:sequence>
                              <xs:element name="orcaXml" type="xs:string"/>
                         </xs:sequence>
                    </xs:complexType>
               </xs:element>
               <xs:element name="orcaAppUploadResponse">
                    <xs:complexType>
                         <xs:sequence>
                              <xs:element name="interviewId" type="xs:string">
                                   <xs:annotation>
                                        <xs:documentation xml:lang="en">Interview identifier used to access the interview from UI</xs:documentation>
                                   </xs:annotation>
                              </xs:element>
                              <xs:element name="status" type="tns:StatusType"/>
                              <xs:element name="errorReason" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0">
                                   <xs:annotation>
                                        <xs:documentation xml:lang="en">Only included if an error has occured </xs:documentation>
                                   </xs:annotation>
                              </xs:element>
                         </xs:sequence>
                    </xs:complexType>
               </xs:element>
               <xs:simpleType name="StatusType">
                    <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
                         <xs:enumeration value="Success"/>
                         <xs:enumeration value="MessageError">
                              <xs:annotation>
                                   <xs:documentation xml:lang="en">MessageError arises if the request payload was
rejected by xpertBridge. This might be because it does not validate against the
expected schema. Alternatively, a business rule is not satisfied.</xs:documentation>
                              </xs:annotation>
                         </xs:enumeration>
                         <xs:enumeration value="ApplicationError">
                              <xs:annotation>
                                   <xs:documentation xml:lang="en">ApplicationError would indicate application or system
error or exception occured in xpertBridge while processing the request.</xs:documentation>
                              </xs:annotation>
                         </xs:enumeration>
                    </xs:restriction>
               </xs:simpleType>
          </xs:schema>
     <wsdl:message name="orcaAppUploadReq">
          <wsdl:part name="orcaAppUpload" element="tns:orcaAppUpload"/>
     </wsdl:message>
     <wsdl:message name="orcaAppUploadResp">
          <wsdl:part name="orcaAppUploadResponse" element="tns:orcaAppUploadResponse"/>
     </wsdl:message>
     <wsdl:portType name="xpertBridgePort">
          <wsdl:operation name="orcaAppUpload">
               <wsdl:documentation>Upload (typically paper) application from ORCA/Ingenium</wsdl:documentation>
               <wsdl:input message="tns:orcaAppUploadReq"/>
               <wsdl:output message="tns:orcaAppUploadResp"/>
          </wsdl:operation>
     </wsdl:portType>
etc.
The error being returned is the following:
ostp_to_xpb.call_web_service.call web service.ORA-29532: Java call terminated by uncaught Java exception: unexpected element name: expected=interviewId, actual=status
Initially I started the params at params(0) but when I received the response above I thought it might solve the problem by starting at 1 - try anything :-) but still had the same response.
I'm now out of ideas!

Answer 1

UTL_DBWS is not part of XDB, XDB is more about being the web service, rather than calling a web service. Here's an example of using UTL_HTTP to test a XML DB Database Native Web Service which may help
SQL*Plus: Release 11.2.0.1.0 Production on Wed Jun 17 08:23:14 2009
Copyright (c) 1982, 2009, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
SQL> spool password.log
SQL> --
SQL> connect sys/oracle as sysdba
Connected.
SQL> --
SQL> def USERNAME=DBNWS
SQL> --
SQL> def PASSWORD=DBNWS
SQL> --
SQL> def HOSTNAME=&1
SQL> --
SQL> DROP USER &USERNAME CASCADE
  2  /
old   1: DROP USER &USERNAME CASCADE
new   1: DROP USER DBNWS CASCADE
User dropped.
SQL> grant connect, resource to &USERNAME identified by &PASSWORD
  2  /
old   1: grant connect, resource to &USERNAME identified by &PASSWORD
new   1: grant connect, resource to DBNWS identified by DBNWS
Grant succeeded.
SQL> begin
  2    dbms_network_acl_admin.drop_acl('localhost.xml');
  3  end;
  4  /
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> begin
  2    dbms_network_acl_admin.create_acl('localhost.xml', 'ACL for &HOSTNAME', '&USERNAME', true, 'connect');
  3    dbms_network_acl_admin.assign_acl('localhost.xml', '&HOSTNAME');
  4  end;
  5  /
old   2:   dbms_network_acl_admin.create_acl('localhost.xml', 'ACL for &HOSTNAME', '&USERNAME', true, 'connect');
new   2:   dbms_network_acl_admin.create_acl('localhost.xml', 'ACL for localhost', 'DBNWS', true, 'connect');
old   3:   dbms_network_acl_admin.assign_acl('localhost.xml', '&HOSTNAME');
new   3:   dbms_network_acl_admin.assign_acl('localhost.xml', 'localhost');
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> COMMIT
  2  /
Commit complete.
SQL> GRANT XDB_WEBSERVICES TO &USERNAME
  2  /
old   1: GRANT XDB_WEBSERVICES TO &USERNAME
new   1: GRANT XDB_WEBSERVICES TO DBNWS
Grant succeeded.
SQL> GRANT XDB_WEBSERVICES_OVER_HTTP TO &USERNAME
  2  /
old   1: GRANT XDB_WEBSERVICES_OVER_HTTP TO &USERNAME
new   1: GRANT XDB_WEBSERVICES_OVER_HTTP TO DBNWS
Grant succeeded.
SQL> connect &USERNAME/&PASSWORD
Connected.
SQL> --
SQL> create or replace function GET_SQRT (INPUT_VALUE number) return number
  2  as
  3  begin
  4    return SQRT(2);
  5  end;
  6  /
Function created.
SQL> select GET_SQRT(2)
  2    from dual
  3  /
GET_SQRT(2)
1.41421356
SQL> VAR URL VARCHAR2(4000)
SQL> --
SQL> BEGIN
  2    :url :=   'http://&USERNAME:&PASSWORD@&HOSTNAME:' || dbms_xdb.getHttpPort() || '/orawsv/&USERNAME/GET_SQRT';
  3  end;
  4  /
old   2:   :url :=   'http://&USERNAME:&PASSWORD@&HOSTNAME:' || dbms_xdb.getHttpPort() || '/orawsv/&USERNAME/GET_SQRT';
new   2:   :url :=   'http://DBNWS:DBNWS@localhost:' || dbms_xdb.getHttpPort() || '/orawsv/DBNWS/GET_SQRT';
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> print url
URL
http://DBNWS:DBNWS@localhost:80/orawsv/DBNWS/GET_SQRT
SQL> --
SQL> set long 100000 pages 0 lines 256
SQL> --
SQL> select     httpuritype( :url || '?wsdl' ).getXML() from dual
  2  /
<definitions name="GET_SQRT" targetNamespace="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/DBNWS/GET_SQRT" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/
" xmlns:tns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/DBNWS/GET_SQRT" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:soap="http://
schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/">
  <types>
    <xsd:schema targetNamespace="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/DBNWS/GET_SQRT" elementFormDefault="qualified">
      <xsd:element name="SNUMBER-GET_SQRTInput">
        <xsd:complexType>
          <xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:element name="INPUT_VALUE-NUMBER-IN" type="xsd:double"/>
          </xsd:sequence>
        </xsd:complexType>
      </xsd:element>
      <xsd:element name="GET_SQRTOutput">
        <xsd:complexType>
          <xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:element name="RETURN" type="xsd:double"/>
          </xsd:sequence>
        </xsd:complexType>
      </xsd:element>
    </xsd:schema>
  </types>
  <message name="GET_SQRTInputMessage">
    <part name="parameters" element="tns:SNUMBER-GET_SQRTInput"/>
  </message>
  <message name="GET_SQRTOutputMessage">
    <part name="parameters" element="tns:GET_SQRTOutput"/>
  </message>
  <portType name="GET_SQRTPortType">
    <operation name="GET_SQRT">
      <input message="tns:GET_SQRTInputMessage"/>
      <output message="tns:GET_SQRTOutputMessage"/>
    </operation>
  </portType>
  <binding name="GET_SQRTBinding" type="tns:GET_SQRTPortType">
    <soap:binding style="document" transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/>
    <operation name="GET_SQRT">
      <soap:operation soapAction="GET_SQRT"/>
      <input>
        <soap:body parts="parameters" use="literal"/>
      </input>
      <output>
        <soap:body parts="parameters" use="literal"/>
      </output>
    </operation>
  </binding>
  <service name="GET_SQRTService">
    <documentation>Oracle Web Service</documentation>
    <port name="GET_SQRTPort" binding="tns:GET_SQRTBinding">
      <soap:address location="http://localhost:80/orawsv/DBNWS/GET_SQRT"/>
    </port>
  </service>
</definitions>
SQL> set serveroutput on
SQL> --
SQL> DECLARE
  2    V_SOAP_REQUEST      XMLTYPE := XMLTYPE(
  3  '<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:SOAP-ENC="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/
encoding/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  4          <SOAP-ENV:Body>
  5                  <m:SNUMBER-GET_SQRTInput xmlns:m="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/&USERNAME/GET_SQRT">
  6                          <m:INPUT_VALUE-NUMBER-IN>2</m:INPUT_VALUE-NUMBER-IN>
  7                  </m:SNUMBER-GET_SQRTInput>
  8          </SOAP-ENV:Body>
  9  </SOAP-ENV:Envelope>');
10    V_SOAP_REQUEST_TEXT CLOB := V_SOAP_REQUEST.getClobVal();
11    V_REQUEST           UTL_HTTP.REQ;
12    V_RESPONSE          UTL_HTTP.RESP;
13    V_BUFFER            VARCHAR2(1024);
14  BEGIN
15
16    V_REQUEST := UTL_HTTP.BEGIN_REQUEST(URL => :URL, METHOD => 'POST');
17    UTL_HTTP.SET_HEADER(V_REQUEST, 'User-Agent', 'Mozilla/4.0');
18    V_REQUEST.METHOD := 'POST';
19    UTL_HTTP.SET_HEADER (R => V_REQUEST, NAME => 'Content-Length', VALUE => DBMS_LOB.GETLENGTH(V_SOAP_REQUEST_TEXT));
20    UTL_HTTP.WRITE_TEXT (R => V_REQUEST, DATA => V_SOAP_REQUEST_TEXT);
21
22    V_RESPONSE := UTL_HTTP.GET_RESPONSE(V_REQUEST);
23    LOOP
24      UTL_HTTP.READ_LINE(V_RESPONSE, V_BUFFER, TRUE);
25      DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(V_BUFFER);
26    END LOOP;
27    UTL_HTTP.END_RESPONSE(V_RESPONSE);
28  EXCEPTION
29    WHEN UTL_HTTP.END_OF_BODY THEN
30      UTL_HTTP.END_RESPONSE(V_RESPONSE);
31  END;
32  /
old   5:                <m:SNUMBER-GET_SQRTInput xmlns:m="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/&USERNAME/GET_SQRT">
new   5:                <m:SNUMBER-GET_SQRTInput xmlns:m="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/DBNWS/GET_SQRT">
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
<soap:Body>
<GET_SQRTOutput xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/orawsv/DBNWS/GET_SQRT">
<RETURN>1.41421356237309504880168872420969807857</RETURN>
</GET_SQRTOutput>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
SQL> set serveroutput on
SQL> --
SQL>
SQL>