Selecting a Web Service Method

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Before you can call a Web Service you must first create a connection to it. The 'Web Service Explorer' displays a tree of the current connections and this can be expanded to show the protocols and web methods available on the connection.

You can create a Web Service connection using the "Add Web Service Connections" toolbar button at the top of the Web Service Explorer, or by using the "Web Service->Connect" menu.

If a web service definition cannot be loaded, the connection is displayed in grey and hovering over the item will display a tooltip describing the issue.

You can create a Web Service connection using the "Refresh Web Service Connection" toolbar button at the top of the Web Service Explorer.

New Web Service Connection

The new web service connection dialog enables you to create a connection to Open API (Swagger), WSDL, WADL or a User Defined Web Service by locating the appropriate definition file.

First, using the radio buttons at the top of the page, you must select the web service type you want to look at this can be Open API (Swagger), WSDL, WADL or User Defined Web Service.

You then need to specify the URL that returns the WSDL or WADL for the web service (this can be a local file or a remote file).

For .Net WSDL web services, this of the form http://ServerName/Service.asmx?WSDL

You can also select a local file, e.g C:\temp\Service.wsdl

A good starting point is to use the simple web service provided which allows you to explore the functionality of the Web Service Test Client. To use this web service, click the "Use Liquid Technologies Sample Web Service" link button (this is available when you select WSDL definition type).

If the service requires authentication, then you can add a user name and password.

If you save the web service call then the password is not encrypted in the file.

User Defined Web Service

If your Web Service does not have an Open API, WSDL or WADL descriptor file, you can choose the option to create a "User Defined Web Service".

When you click 'OK' you are then presented with the following screen which allows you to specify a service, URI, method (GET or POST) and method parameters.

Clicking 'OK' then allows you to save the User Defined Web Service as a WADL file.

The next time you want to access the service, you can then select the WADL file you just created.

Call a Web Service Wizard

If you double click on a Web Service Method in the Web Service Explorer tree, a Web Service Test is automatically created and opened.

Alternitvely, you can create a new connection as part of the "Call a Web Service Wizard". You can run the Wizard from the Start Page's "Quick Start Wizards" list, or from the "Web Service->Web Service Test Client" menu.

Select a Web Service Connection

In order to create a Web Service Test, you must first select a Web Service Connection from the current list of connections.

The first page of the wizard enables you to create a new connection or edit / delete an existing connection.

Once you select a connection you can click 'Next >' to move to the next page Selecting a Web Method.

Selecting a Web Method

You can now select the Web method you wish to call. Web services typically offer the ability call there methods using a number of protocols.

The browser shows all the supported protocols and all the methods exposed for each of them.

For WSDL, the Web Service Test Client supports protocols, SOAP 1.1, SOAP 1.2, HTTP GET & HTTP POST. Any other protocols are ignored.

Once you select your method, and press Finish, and request is constructed for you.

You can then modify the request and call the web method. See Web Service Test Client.

Select Web Method Options

Open API connections have additional information from the definition file that may be set using this page of the wizard.

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