Library differences when adding Web Reference

[Gustaf]

Here's what happens: I got a Web Service installed locally on my IIS. Then I got a client project, which will call this service. But when I add the Web Reference to the Web Service, and look at the imported classes with Object Browser, there are classes missing. How can that be?

The classes in question are of course public, and I see them in Object Browser in the Web Service project. The classes are auto-generated from an XSD file, using the xsd.exe tool (but that shouldn't matter).

Gustaf

[John Saunders [MVP]]

"Gustaf" <gu*****@algonet.sewrote in message
news:e7**************@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

Here's what happens: I got a Web Service installed locally on my IIS. Then
I got a client project, which will call this service. But when I add the
Web Reference to the Web Service, and look at the imported classes with
Object Browser, there are classes missing. How can that be?

The classes in question are of course public, and I see them in Object
Browser in the Web Service project. The classes are auto-generated from an
XSD file, using the xsd.exe tool (but that shouldn't matter).

What kind of classes are missing? For instance, are SOAP Fault classes
missing? If so, that's because .NET ignores SOAP Faults as far as processing
a WSDL is concerned.
--
John Saunders [MVP]

[Gustaf]

John Saunders [MVP] wrote:

What kind of classes are missing? For instance, are SOAP Fault classes
missing? If so, that's because .NET ignores SOAP Faults as far as
processing a WSDL is concerned.

Thanks for helping. The one class I see is missing, is the class that corresponds to the root element type in the schema. I noticed that only complex types get their class representations when generating code with xsd.exe, not element declarations. So, in this case

<xs:element name="MyRoot" type="MyRootType"/>

<xs:complexType name="MyRootType">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="MyItem" type="MyItemType"
minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

there is no MyRoot class generated, but a MyRootType class. In my case, it's the MyRootType class that's missing when I import the classes using a Web Reference.

Gustaf

[John Saunders [MVP]]

"Gustaf" <gu*****@algonet.sewrote in message
news:uM**************@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

John Saunders [MVP] wrote:

>What kind of classes are missing? For instance, are SOAP Fault classes
missing? If so, that's because .NET ignores SOAP Faults as far as
processing a WSDL is concerned.

Thanks for helping. The one class I see is missing, is the class that
corresponds to the root element type in the schema. I noticed that only
complex types get their class representations when generating code with
xsd.exe, not element declarations. So, in this case

<xs:element name="MyRoot" type="MyRootType"/>

<xs:complexType name="MyRootType">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="MyItem" type="MyItemType"
minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

there is no MyRoot class generated, but a MyRootType class. In my case,
it's the MyRootType class that's missing when I import the classes using a
Web Reference.

Do you use the MyRootType directly? Does your Web Reference code compile?

I've noticed that XSD.EXE will only include types it thinks are being used,
and this isn't always the same set of types you think are being used. In one
case, I had to play around for days to get it to include the types I wanted.

As an experiment, could you add a web method that returns a MyRoot and then
see what that generates in the Web Reference?
--
John Saunders [MVP]

[Gustaf]

John Saunders [MVP] wrote:

Do you use the MyRootType directly? Does your Web Reference code compile?

I can set up the Web Reference without complaints, so I suppose that part is okay as far as Visual Studio is concerned. The Web Service project compiles, and if I check Object Browser from that project, I see all the classes I want. Then when I include the Web Reference to this Web Service from another project, one class disappears.

I've noticed that XSD.EXE will only include types it thinks are being
used, and this isn't always the same set of types you think are being
used. In one case, I had to play around for days to get it to include
the types I wanted.

I noticed that too. If you include an element with no parent in the schema, it's not represented in the generated code. Naturally, the root element has no parent, but the class for the root element type is indeed generated (with the XmlRootAttribute attribute), and is recognized in the Web Service project.

So it appears to me that whatever happens, happens when setting up the Web Reference.

As an experiment, could you add a web method that returns a MyRoot and
then see what that generates in the Web Reference?

It generates a method with a return value of the class one level below the root element. But nevemind that now. After so much time spent on this, I had to stop working on it. Thanks anyway.

Gustaf

[Gustaf]

John Saunders [MVP] wrote:

I'd like to create a reproducer for this, because I can see it as an
issue that will come up for many developers. Unfortunately, I'm tied up
at the moment and may not get to it in the next couple of days.

I have now simplified the schema and stripped it from all sensitive information, so I can make it public here, for you and others to test. I have also tested that the schema produces the result described. Here's the schema:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xs:schema
xmlns="http://example.org/Response"
xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
targetNamespace="http://example.org/Response"
elementFormDefault="qualified">

<xs:complexType name="ResponseType">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="ErrorCode" type="xs:string"/>
<xs:element name="ErrorMessage" type="xs:string"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

<xs:complexType name="ResponseListType">
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="Response" type="ResponseType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>

<xs:element name="ResponseList" type="ResponseListType"/>

</xs:schema>

And here's step-by-step instruction on how you produce the same error:

1. Generate a file with classes from the schema with the xsd.exe tool.
2. Create a new Web Service project, and import the generated file.
3. Add a WebMethod that returns a ResponseListType object:

[WebMethod]
public ResponseListType GetResponseList() {
return null;
}

4. Using Object Browser, confirm that the ResponseListType class is included. It is.
5. Create a Console Application project and add a web reference to the web service.
6. Using Object Browser, look for the ResponseListType class among the classes imported by the web reference. It won't be there.

Gustaf