Really basic web service newbie question...

[Mark Rae]

Hi,

I'm new to webservices, and am trying to write a webservice in C# which
validates UK postcodes. The webservice asmx file contains the following
code:

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Services;
using Validation;
namespace markrae.webservices
{
/// <summary>
/// Summary description for validation.
/// </summary>
[WebService(Namespace="http://www.markrae.co.uk/")]
public class validation : System.Web.Services.WebService
{
CValidation objValidation = new CValidation();
public validation()
{
//CODEGEN: This call is required by the ASP.NET Web Services
Designer
InitializeComponent();
}

[WebMethod]
public string UKPostcode(string pstrPostcode)
{
return objValidation.UKPostCode(pstrPostcode);
}
}
}

and the class module behind the webservice contains the following code:

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Net;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
using System.Xml;
namespace Validation
{
/// <summary>
/// Summary description for CValidation.
/// </summary>
public class CValidation
{
public string UKPostCode(string pstrPostCode)
{
HttpWebRequest objHttpWebRequest = null;
HttpWebResponse objHttpWebResponse = null;
StreamReader objStreamReader = null;
MemoryStream objStream = null;
XmlTextWriter objXML = null;
Regex objRegEx = null;
string strURL = "";
string strHTML = "";
string strOutput = "";

objStream = new MemoryStream();
objXML = new XmlTextWriter(objStream,System.Text.Encoding.UTF8);
objXML.Formatting = Formatting.Indented;
objXML.Indentation= 4;
objXML.Namespaces = false;
objXML.WriteStartDocument();
objXML.WriteComment("This is a comment");
objXML.WriteStartElement("", "Return", "");
objXML.WriteStartElement("", "Postcode", "");
objXML.WriteString(pstrPostCode);
objXML.WriteEndElement();
objXML.WriteStartElement("", "ReturnValue", "");
objXML.WriteString("1");
objXML.WriteEndElement();
objXML.WriteEndElement();
objXML.WriteEndDocument();
objXML.Flush();
objStream.Position = 0;
objStreamReader = new StreamReader(objStream);
return objStreamReader.ReadToEnd();
}
}
}

The above doesn't cause any errors, and pretty much works as I expect, apart
from the format of the output. It displays as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<string xmlns="http://www.markrae.co.uk/"><?xml version="1.0"
encoding="utf-8"?> <!--This is a comment--> <Return> <Postcode>AB1
1BB</Postcode> <ReturnValue>1</ReturnValue> </Return></string>

whereas I'd expect it to display as:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<string xmlns="http://www.markrae.co.uk/"></string>
<!--This is a comment-->
<Return>
<Postcode>AB1 1BB</Postcode>
<ReturnValue>1</ReturnValue>
</Return>


I'm sure I'm missing something completely obvious!

Any assistance gratefully received.

Best regards,

Mark Rae

 

[Nick Malik]

Hi Mark,

Seems to me that you are going through an awful lot of effort just to format
that return, when C# does it for you.

Create a "data only" class called Return, as follows:
namespace Validation
{
public class Return
{
string PostCode;
int ReturnValue;
}
}

Then change your definition of the UKPostCode routine a bit:
namespace Validation
{
/// <summary>
/// Summary description for CValidation.
/// </summary>
public class CValidation
{
public Return UKPostCode(string pstrPostCode)
{
Return myret = new Return();
myret.PostalCode = pstrPostCode;
myret.ReturnValue = 1;
return myret;
}
}
}

Caveat: this is air code... I didn't compile it before posting. That said,
it should be close to what you want, and will hopefully give you some ideas.

Good Luck,
--- Nick

Hi,

I'm new to webservices, and am trying to write a webservice in C# which
validates UK postcodes. The webservice asmx file contains the following
code:

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Services;
using Validation;
namespace markrae.webservices
{
/// <summary>
/// Summary description for validation.
/// </summary>
[WebService(Namespace="http://www.markrae.co.uk/")]
public class validation : System.Web.Services.WebService
{
CValidation objValidation = new CValidation();
public validation()
{
//CODEGEN: This call is required by the ASP.NET Web Services
Designer
InitializeComponent();
}

[WebMethod]
public string UKPostcode(string pstrPostcode)
{
return objValidation.UKPostCode(pstrPostcode);
}
}
}

and the class module behind the webservice contains the following code:

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Net;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
using System.Xml;
namespace Validation
{
/// <summary>
/// Summary description for CValidation.
/// </summary>
public class CValidation
{
public string UKPostCode(string pstrPostCode)
{
HttpWebRequest objHttpWebRequest = null;
HttpWebResponse objHttpWebResponse = null;
StreamReader objStreamReader = null;
MemoryStream objStream = null;
XmlTextWriter objXML = null;
Regex objRegEx = null;
string strURL = "";
string strHTML = "";
string strOutput = "";

objStream = new MemoryStream();
objXML = new XmlTextWriter(objStream,System.Text.Encoding.UTF8);
objXML.Formatting = Formatting.Indented;
objXML.Indentation= 4;
objXML.Namespaces = false;
objXML.WriteStartDocument();
objXML.WriteComment("This is a comment");
objXML.WriteStartElement("", "Return", "");
objXML.WriteStartElement("", "Postcode", "");
objXML.WriteString(pstrPostCode);
objXML.WriteEndElement();
objXML.WriteStartElement("", "ReturnValue", "");
objXML.WriteString("1");
objXML.WriteEndElement();
objXML.WriteEndElement();
objXML.WriteEndDocument();
objXML.Flush();
objStream.Position = 0;
objStreamReader = new StreamReader(objStream);
return objStreamReader.ReadToEnd();
}
}
}

The above doesn't cause any errors, and pretty much works as I expect, apart
from the format of the output. It displays as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<string xmlns="http://www.markrae.co.uk/"><?xml version="1.0"
encoding="utf-8"?> <!--This is a comment--> <Return> <Postcode>AB1
1BB</Postcode> <ReturnValue>1</ReturnValue> </Return></string>

whereas I'd expect it to display as:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<string xmlns="http://www.markrae.co.uk/"></string>
<!--This is a comment-->
<Return>
<Postcode>AB1 1BB</Postcode>
<ReturnValue>1</ReturnValue>
</Return>


I'm sure I'm missing something completely obvious!

Any assistance gratefully received.

Best regards,

Mark Rae

 

[Mark Rae]

Caveat: this is air code... I didn't compile it before posting. That said,
it should be close to what you want, and will hopefully give you some

ideas.

Thanks for the reply.