![Who’sDL? What’s a WSDL
A Web Services Description Language(WSDL) is the XML
response document that serves as a Table of Content or
Glossary to describe available operations(methods)
available from a server.
Cascade Server WSDL location is:
http://[yourserver.edu]/ws/services/AssetOperationService?wsdl
Recommend using a parser for WSDL like SOAP UI –
http://soapui.org](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/webservices101-140916082649-phpapp02/85/Web-services101-8-320.jpg)
Web services101
- 1. Alvin Chao – James Madison University @chaoaj, chaoaj@jmu.edu , #csuc14 - #ws101
- 2. Overview Topics: Who is this aimed at? What is a web service? Where do you find resources for Cascade Server Web Services Operations When / Why would you use Web Services / Real life applications How: Understanding how to make Web Services Calls Code examples for some commonly used operations
- 3. Who Technical users with a background in some modern programming language and XML/Xpath, XSLT , Velocity Managers/Supervisors to know what the capabilities are for extending Cascade with Web Services
- 4. What is a Web Service? W3C defintion for a web service is, “a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network”. Web Services provide a way to communicate between your own external code based application and Cascade Server. Cascade Server uses Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) for Web Services based on a Web Services Definition Language(WSDL) SOAP leverages XML formatted data calls to send and receive information WSDL::Web Server Script as SOAP::HTML requests
- 5. Where do you find info about Web Services? W3 Schools Web Services tutorials(http://www.w3schools.com/webservices/default.a sp) SOAPuser.com(http://www.soapuser.com/index.html ) WSDL Essentials(http://www.developer.com/services/article.php/ 1602051/WSDL-Essentials.htm )
- 6. When /Why would you use a Web Service?(Use Case Scenarios) Importing content into Cascade from other 3rd party apps or databases/files Pulling Cascade Data out to other 3rd party Applications Handling form submissions Updating access rights on multiple assets for a single user or group Advanced bulk change Bulk update content Selective publishing of specific assets only Data Definition Page to Data Definition Block conversion Reporting of Cascade statistical information for management / analytics
- 7. How: Understanding how to make Web Services calls Read/interpret Your WSDL Setup a client: or Make Raw SOAP calls PHP: needs soap package Perl: Need SOAP::Lite module Java Javascript ASP.NET Connection/Authentication Make Calls Enjoy your Web Services
- 8. Who’sDL? What’s a WSDL A Web Services Description Language(WSDL) is the XML response document that serves as a Table of Content or Glossary to describe available operations(methods) available from a server. Cascade Server WSDL location is: http://[yourserver.edu]/ws/services/AssetOperationService?wsdl Recommend using a parser for WSDL like SOAP UI – http://soapui.org
- 9. WSDL elements / tags DEFINITIONS: Name of the web services, including NameSpace(important) http://www.hannonhill.com/ws/ns/AssetOperationService TYPES: What types of data will be transmitted? MESSAGES: What Messages will be transmitted?(matches types for Cascade) PORTTYPE: What operations will be supported? Cascade = Input/Output pairs BINDING: How will a message be transmitted? SOAP details(raw literal message for Cascade) SERVICE: Where is the service located?(Server URL)
- 11. Getting SOAPy SOAP(Simple Object Access Protocol) is used for application to application communication of XML message over http protocol. SOAP features: Platform independent(*nix, Mac OS, Windows) Language independent(JS, .NET, Perl, PHP, Ruby, Python, Java, etc…)
- 12. Anatomy of a SOAP Call CLIENT 1: Prepare SOAP Request and Client Socket 2: Connect to Server Authentication w/Username 3: Transmit SOAP request 4: Wait 5: Receive SOAP response 6: Close Client Socket SERVER 1: Prepare Server Socket/ Listen on Server Socket 2: Connect with Client 3:Receive SOAP request 4: Process/Prepare SOAP response 5: Transmit SOAP Response 6: Wait Password HTTP + XML = SOAP XML Message over HTTP Soap Message: XML: Envelope: Header: Body Server Message sends results back in Body section of SOAP Response
- 13. SOAP Message portions XML DECLARATION: ENVELOPE: Sets up namespace as a SOAP message HEADER(optional must be first if present): Not necessary for Cascade BODY:Actual message to be run FAULT(optional): used for error handling.
- 14. Connection / Authentication Each operation needs to be authenticated using a username and password The operation is then executed as if that User performed the operation in the web UI: Given User is the author of the operation Permissions and abilities are verified Audits are created for that User User must be setup to have the rights to run that operation in Cascade
- 15. Cascade Available operations http://localhost:8080/ws/services/Asset OperationService?wsdl Most frequently used operations: Create Read Edit Delete Copy Read/Edit Access Rights Publish
- 16. Important keywords in WSDL "complexType" and "simpleType”
- 17. Important keywords in WSDL « choice - either element Sequence – order is specific
- 18. Important keywords in WSDL "element" Attributes: "minOccurs", "maxOccurs" and "type" Comments
- 19. Important keywords in WSDL "extension »- More specific information on the operation
- 20. Cascade WSDL parameters Required: xml parentFolderId or parentFolderPath name Optional: expirationFolderId or expirationFolderPath metadataSetId or metadataSetPath Metadata fields (title, displayName, etc.) siteId or siteName
- 21. SOAPUI.org client examples Would you pay $1000? - XML Spy Would you pay $100? Oxygen XML educational price Would What is SOAP UI? Like MS Access for SOAP calls, allows you to generate SQL like calls to a database but SOAP calls to a WSDL http://soapui.org
- 22. Example SOAP Read folder names message
- 24. Limitations Can’t access past versions of assets and drafts Can’t render assets Can’t use tools(Bulk Change) Can’t change preferences Can’t change configuration files Can’t view or interact with publish queue Certain operations can be limited
- 25. Further Reading/Resources Artur Tomusiak’s CSUC12 presentation on How to use Web Services(http://www.slideshare.net/hannonhill/artur-tomusiak ) Hannon Hill Github for Web Services(≈) Perl, PHP, Java examples(https://github.com/hannonhill) Wing Ming Chan’s Web Services page: (http://www.upstate.edu/cascade-admin/projects/web-services/ )
- 26. Other WS Presentations at #CSUC14 Tues 10:15 Leveraging Adminstative Tasks with Web Services - Eric Caraballo Tues 1:30 Ingesting Banner output Schedule Classes into Cascade Server (In Java - Web Services) – Alem Areki Tues 1:30 Web Forms, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Web Services – Erik Gorka Tues 4:15 Web Services: Encapsulation, Reusability, and Simplicity - Wing Ming Chan
- 27. Questions? @chaoaj – chaoaj@jmu.edu #ws101