How to implemt a simple web listener in asp.net/vb.net

[Jerome Cohen]

I need to implement a simple application that listens for web requests on a
well-known URL, grab the request , which is an XML document, and send as
respnse an XML document.
each client sends a first request and I return failure or a session ID which
I store, and further requests should have the session ID.

isn't there a sim[ple way to do it? I keep reading about HTTP handlers.
isn't there a simpler way to implement it?

[Brock Allen]

If you don't need ASP.NET then you can host HTTP directly in an application
fairly easily using .NET 2.0 with http.sys (so Windows 2003 or XP SP2). Here's
a sample in C# that you should be able to morph to do XML. The trick is using
HttpListenerCon text.Request and Response to do the heavy lifting for you

using System.IO;
using System.Net;

class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
HttpListener l = new HttpListener();
l.Prefixes.Add( "http://localhost/HttpListenerApp/");
l.Start();
while (true)
{
HttpListenerCon text ctx = l.GetContext();
string url = ctx.Request.Raw Url;
StreamWriter w = new
StreamWriter(ct x.Response.Outp utStream);
w.WriteLine("<h 2>The URL was {0}</h2>", url);
w.Close();
}
}
}
-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen

I need to implement a simple application that listens for web requests
on a
well-known URL, grab the request , which is an XML document, and send
as
respnse an XML document.
each client sends a first request and I return failure or a session ID
which
I store, and further requests should have the session ID.
isn't there a sim[ple way to do it? I keep reading about HTTP
handlers. isn't there a simpler way to implement it?

[Jerome Cohen]

thanks.

well, I do want to use ASP.NET/VB.NET. does it mean I have to use the HTTP
handlers method ?
my server is running WIN 2K
"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...

If you don't need ASP.NET then you can host HTTP directly in an application fairly easily using .NET 2.0 with http.sys (so Windows 2003 or XP SP2). Here's a sample in C# that you should be able to morph to do XML. The trick is using HttpListenerCon text.Request and Response to do the heavy lifting for you

using System.IO;
using System.Net;

class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
HttpListener l = new HttpListener();
l.Prefixes.Add( "http://localhost/HttpListenerApp/");
l.Start();
while (true)
{
HttpListenerCon text ctx = l.GetContext();
string url = ctx.Request.Raw Url;
StreamWriter w = new
StreamWriter(ct x.Response.Outp utStream);
w.WriteLine("<h 2>The URL was {0}</h2>", url);
w.Close();
}
}
}
-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen

I need to implement a simple application that listens for web requests
on a
well-known URL, grab the request , which is an XML document, and send
as
respnse an XML document.
each client sends a first request and I return failure or a session ID
which
I store, and further requests should have the session ID.
isn't there a sim[ple way to do it? I keep reading about HTTP
handlers. isn't there a simpler way to implement it?

[Brock Allen]

Ah, ok. I was just offering that as a non-IIS/ASP.NET approach as an idea.
So if you are using ASP.NET, then yes, implementing a IHttpHandler would
probabaly be your best bet. They're quite simple once you get started.

-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen

thanks.

well, I do want to use ASP.NET/VB.NET. does it mean I have to use the
HTTP
handlers method ?
my server is running WIN 2K
"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...

If you don't need ASP.NET then you can host HTTP directly in an

application

fairly easily using .NET 2.0 with http.sys (so Windows 2003 or XP
SP2).

Here's

a sample in C# that you should be able to morph to do XML. The trick
is

using

HttpListenerCon text.Request and Response to do the heavy lifting for
you

using System.IO;
using System.Net;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
HttpListener l = new HttpListener();
l.Prefixes.Add( "http://localhost/HttpListenerApp/");
l.Start();
while (true)
{
HttpListenerCon text ctx = l.GetContext();
string url = ctx.Request.Raw Url;
StreamWriter w = new
StreamWriter(ct x.Response.Outp utStream);
w.WriteLine("<h 2>The URL was {0}</h2>", url);
w.Close();
}
}
}
-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen

I need to implement a simple application that listens for web
requests
on a
well-known URL, grab the request , which is an XML document, and
send
as
respnse an XML document.
each client sends a first request and I return failure or a session
ID
which
I store, and further requests should have the session ID.
isn't there a sim[ple way to do it? I keep reading about HTTP
handlers. isn't there a simpler way to implement it?

[Jerome Cohen]

thanks again!

assuming I have a page, "/dir1/mypage.aspx" that will implement the handler.
I understand I need to declare the public class that will implement the
handler
Public Class MyHandler

Implements IHttpHandler

and implement "IsReusable " and "ProcessRequest "

now, what exactly do I need to do on my web.configto make the handler
receive the requests to mypage.aspx? or does it does it have to be
machine.config? anything else I am missing?
all the examples I saw assume so much besides the basic HTTP handling its
hard to differenciate the "pure" HTTP handler.
"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...

Ah, ok. I was just offering that as a non-IIS/ASP.NET approach as an idea.
So if you are using ASP.NET, then yes, implementing a IHttpHandler would
probabaly be your best bet. They're quite simple once you get started.

-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen

thanks.

well, I do want to use ASP.NET/VB.NET. does it mean I have to use the
HTTP
handlers method ?
my server is running WIN 2K
"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...

If you don't need ASP.NET then you can host HTTP directly in an

application

fairly easily using .NET 2.0 with http.sys (so Windows 2003 or XP
SP2).

Here's

a sample in C# that you should be able to morph to do XML. The trick
is

using

HttpListenerCon text.Request and Response to do the heavy lifting for
you

using System.IO;
using System.Net;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
HttpListener l = new HttpListener();
l.Prefixes.Add( "http://localhost/HttpListenerApp/");
l.Start();
while (true)
{
HttpListenerCon text ctx = l.GetContext();
string url = ctx.Request.Raw Url;
StreamWriter w = new
StreamWriter(ct x.Response.Outp utStream);
w.WriteLine("<h 2>The URL was {0}</h2>", url);
w.Close();
}
}
}
-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen
I need to implement a simple application that listens for web
requests
on a
well-known URL, grab the request , which is an XML document, and
send
as
respnse an XML document.
each client sends a first request and I return failure or a session
ID
which
I store, and further requests should have the session ID.
isn't there a sim[ple way to do it? I keep reading about HTTP
handlers. isn't there a simpler way to implement it?

[Brock Allen]

Just add a <httpHandlers > section to your web.config:

<configuratio n>
<system.web>
<httpHandlers >
<add path="YourURL.a spx" verb="POST" type="YourNames pace.YourClass, YourAssemblyWit houtTheDotDll"
/>
</httpHandlers>
</system.web>
</configuration>

For the verb I'd use POST since you said the client would be passing up XML
in the body. You can just put verb="*" if they might also do a GET.

-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen

thanks again!

assuming I have a page, "/dir1/mypage.aspx" that will implement the
handler.
I understand I need to declare the public class that will implement
the
handler
Public Class MyHandler
Implements IHttpHandler

and implement "IsReusable " and "ProcessRequest "

now, what exactly do I need to do on my web.configto make the handler
receive the requests to mypage.aspx? or does it does it have to be
machine.config? anything else I am missing?
all the examples I saw assume so much besides the basic HTTP handling
its
hard to differenciate the "pure" HTTP handler.
"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...

Ah, ok. I was just offering that as a non-IIS/ASP.NET approach as an
idea. So if you are using ASP.NET, then yes, implementing a
IHttpHandler would probabaly be your best bet. They're quite simple
once you get started.

-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen

thanks.

well, I do want to use ASP.NET/VB.NET. does it mean I have to use
the
HTTP
handlers method ?
my server is running WIN 2K
"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...
If you don't need ASP.NET then you can host HTTP directly in an

application

fairly easily using .NET 2.0 with http.sys (so Windows 2003 or XP
SP2).

Here's

a sample in C# that you should be able to morph to do XML. The
trick is

using

HttpListenerCon text.Request and Response to do the heavy lifting
for you

using System.IO;
using System.Net;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
HttpListener l = new HttpListener();
l.Prefixes.Add( "http://localhost/HttpListenerApp/");
l.Start();
while (true)
{
HttpListenerCon text ctx = l.GetContext();
string url = ctx.Request.Raw Url;
StreamWriter w = new
StreamWriter(ct x.Response.Outp utStream);
w.WriteLine("<h 2>The URL was {0}</h2>", url);
w.Close();
}
}
}
-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen
> I need to implement a simple application that listens for web
> requests
> on a
> well-known URL, grab the request , which is an XML document, and
> send
> as
> respnse an XML document.
> each client sends a first request and I return failure or a
> session
> ID
> which
> I store, and further requests should have the session ID.
> isn't there a sim[ple way to do it? I keep reading about HTTP
> handlers. isn't there a simpler way to implement it?

[Jerome Cohen]

its working!

"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...

Just add a <httpHandlers > section to your web.config:

<configuratio n>
<system.web>
<httpHandlers >
<add path="YourURL.a spx" verb="POST" type="YourNames pace.YourClass, YourAssemblyWit houtTheDotDll" />
</httpHandlers>
</system.web>
</configuration>

For the verb I'd use POST since you said the client would be passing up XML in the body. You can just put verb="*" if they might also do a GET.

-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen

thanks again!

assuming I have a page, "/dir1/mypage.aspx" that will implement the
handler.
I understand I need to declare the public class that will implement
the
handler
Public Class MyHandler
Implements IHttpHandler

and implement "IsReusable " and "ProcessRequest "

now, what exactly do I need to do on my web.configto make the handler
receive the requests to mypage.aspx? or does it does it have to be
machine.config? anything else I am missing?
all the examples I saw assume so much besides the basic HTTP handling
its
hard to differenciate the "pure" HTTP handler.
"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...

Ah, ok. I was just offering that as a non-IIS/ASP.NET approach as an
idea. So if you are using ASP.NET, then yes, implementing a
IHttpHandler would probabaly be your best bet. They're quite simple
once you get started.

-Brock
DevelopMentor
http://staff.develop.com/ballen
thanks.

well, I do want to use ASP.NET/VB.NET. does it mean I have to use
the
HTTP
handlers method ?
my server is running WIN 2K
"Brock Allen" <ba****@NOSPAMd evelop.com> wrote in message
news:95******** **************@ msnews.microsof t.com...
> If you don't need ASP.NET then you can host HTTP directly in an
>
application

> fairly easily using .NET 2.0 with http.sys (so Windows 2003 or XP
> SP2).
>
Here's

> a sample in C# that you should be able to morph to do XML. The
> trick is
>
using

> HttpListenerCon text.Request and Response to do the heavy lifting
> for you
>
> using System.IO;
> using System.Net;
> class Program
> {
> static void Main(string[] args)
> {
> HttpListener l = new HttpListener();
> l.Prefixes.Add( "http://localhost/HttpListenerApp/");
> l.Start();
> while (true)
> {
> HttpListenerCon text ctx = l.GetContext();
> string url = ctx.Request.Raw Url;
> StreamWriter w = new
> StreamWriter(ct x.Response.Outp utStream);
> w.WriteLine("<h 2>The URL was {0}</h2>", url);
> w.Close();
> }
> }
> }
> -Brock
> DevelopMentor
> http://staff.develop.com/ballen
>> I need to implement a simple application that listens for web
>> requests
>> on a
>> well-known URL, grab the request , which is an XML document, and
>> send
>> as
>> respnse an XML document.
>> each client sends a first request and I return failure or a
>> session
>> ID
>> which
>> I store, and further requests should have the session ID.
>> isn't there a sim[ple way to do it? I keep reading about HTTP
>> handlers. isn't there a simpler way to implement it?