We Keep Coding

WCF custom ServiceHost on IIS

I'm trying to host my WCF service with a custom ServiceHost on IIS. I found a couple of articles on MSDN like this: Custom Service Host. Here, I'm supposed to add something to my services svc file, but I don't have one and I can't add one in visual studio either. Then I found this article: Configuration-Based Activation in IIS and WAS. This says
"The configuration-based activation feature removes the requirement to have a .svc file and therefore the associated overhead."
so I can just create a serviceHostingEnvironment entry in my Web.config (which I don't have either, but I guess App.config is equivalent since it contains my system.serviceModel configuration). However, I have to specify a relativeAddress for the service activation.
"The relativeAddress attribute must be set to a relative address such as <sub-directory>/service.svc or ~/<sub-directory/service.svc. "
So it should point to my svc file? I'm a bit confused, could you point me to the right direction?

I know documentation on MSDN is little confusing. Here is configuration that you need to put in web.confi/app.config
<serviceHostingEnvironment>
<serviceActivations>
<add relativeAddress="MyNonExistingServiceSVC.svc" service="MyService" factory=”MyServiceHostFactory”/>
</serviceActivations>
</serviceHostingEnvironment>
Here relative address will be just any dummy name. This name will be used to browse your service metadata. Please note that this name can be anything of your choice and it DOES NOT require same physical file to be present on disk. It just needs any name with .SVC extension.
So while accessing service metadata your URL will be
http://myserver/myservice/MyNonExistingServiceSVC.svc

Are Web Service References necessary in all project?

I currently have one Web Service in a solution of multiple projects. Since I don't want to add service references in all project to be able to use it, I have created a project with static a class named "ServiceHelper" for the moment. This project would be the only one with the service references and the helper would do all the request ncessary. The Web Service is set public (not internal).
My problem here is that when I initialize my SoapClient in my helper from another project that do not have the service references, it throws an exception. But when I add the service reference to that other project, it works. Is it normal or not?
The exception throwed translated (because it is said in French) is :
Unable to find an element endpoint default refers to the contract 'ServiceReference.WebServiceSoap' section in the ServiceModel client configuration. This may be due to the fact that the configuration file of your application is not found or the endpoint element matching this contract is found in the client element
Is there something missing in my config file? because I didn't change anything in the 2 projects mentionned.
Exemple of how I initialize my SoapClient in my helper :
private static ServiceReference.WebServiceSoapClient _webService = new ServiceReference.WebServiceSoapClient();

Following on with #zverev.eugene, you don't need the references in every project, but the web.config or app.config in the project is where the connection and configuration information is retrieved from. This is because the application calling your class library is what supplies all configuration information (e.g., if you have a data access layer in a class library, the connection string would come from the .config of the application calling the DAL, not the class library itself).

WCF client configuration from custom location

I'm new to WCF and am trying to make my first service (a simple usage reporting service). I've gone through examples and tutorials and created a service. I have a simple test program that can run my core code and send the report. Currently I'm running locally hosted in the debugger, but running this simple exe program hosts the service, sends the report, and the service creates the log file just like it's supposed to... all is good.
Now, my actual program is an addin to another commercial program that runs in it's API (Autodesk Revit). When I run the exact same code inside of the Revit API I get an error that there is no endpoint defined. My guess is that this is because it's looking for the main Revit.exe.config which obviously will not have my endpoint defined. I have a .config file for my dll created (MyLibrary.dll.config) and in the executing directory for my code and it defines the endpoint properly, but that doesn't seem to be recognized.
So my question is how do I get it to load the connection settings from this config file? Or is there another way I should be doing this? I'm open to setting it in code somehow or whatever, just can't figure out how to get it to connect...
I'm not sure if it matters, but here is the configuration that is working in the standalone program:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<system.serviceModel>
<bindings>
<basicHttpBinding>
<binding name="BasicHttpBinding_IReportingService" />
</basicHttpBinding>
</bindings>
<client>
<endpoint address="http://localhost:8733/Design_Time_Addresses/SPECtrumReportingService/Service1/"
binding="basicHttpBinding" bindingConfiguration="BasicHttpBinding_IReportingService"
contract="ReportService.IReportingService" name="BasicHttpBinding_IReportingService" />
</client>
</system.serviceModel>
</configuration>
My constructor that is throwing the endpoint exception is simply:
_reporter = new ReportingServiceClient();
Here is the exception that is thrown:
Could not find default endpoint element that references contract 'ReportService.IReportingService' in the ServiceModel client configuration section. This might be because no configuration file was found for your application, or because no endpoint element matching this contract could be found in the client element.
at System.ServiceModel.Description.ConfigLoader.LoadChannelBehaviors(ServiceEndpoint serviceEndpoint, String configurationName)
at System.ServiceModel.ChannelFactory.InitializeEndpoint(String configurationName, EndpointAddress address)
at System.ServiceModel.ChannelFactory`1..ctor(String endpointConfigurationName, EndpointAddress remoteAddress)
at System.ServiceModel.ConfigurationEndpointTrait`1.CreateSimplexFactory()
at System.ServiceModel.ClientBase`1.CreateChannelFactoryRef(EndpointTrait`1 endpointTrait)
at System.ServiceModel.ClientBase`1.InitializeChannelFactoryRef()
at RDES.Revit.Sumex.CommonUse.ReportService.ReportingServiceClient..ctor() in c:\RD\Projects\13-004 SPECtrum\Code\SPECtrumBase\Service References\ReportService\Reference.cs:line 241
at RDES.Revit.Sumex.CommonUse.ImportVM..ctor() in c:\RD\Projects\13-004 SPECtrum\Code\SPECtrumBase\ImportVM.cs:line 41
Any help would be greatly appreciated...

it's not relevant that the dll's configuration file is in the same folder as the application. only the application's (executable's) app.config file is read. the solution is to copy the WCF service configuration from the dll config file to you application's app.config file.
the other solution, for modular applications, is to set the service's ABC in code. the problem with this is that you cannot configure it without rebuilding and redeploying the addin.
to create a WCF proxy entirely in code you could use something like this:
IServiceContract proxy = ChannelFactory<IServiceContract>.CreateChannel(new WSHttpBinding(),
new EndpointAddress("<you url here>"));

I found this post that lead me to a possible answer. I have now updated my constructor as follows:
_reporter = new ReportingServiceClient(new BasicHttpBinding(), new EndpointAddress("http://localhost:8733/Design_Time_Addresses/SPECtrumReportingService/Service1/"));
I've left the binding as just default although it looks like I can set other properties if I need to. I just pulled the endpoint address out of the config file that worked in the standalone program and used that to construct.
This seems to be working as expected inside of Revit at least with preliminary tests. Can anyone comment on if this would cause any issues or if there is a better way to handle this situation?

Though you can inject endpoint info into a proxy class ReportingServiceClient through your application codes, the first class programming approach is to use app.config.
In your client config, you have an endpoint named "BasicHttpBinding_IReportingService", to use this endpoint, you should then write:
_reporter = new ReportingServiceClient("BasicHttpBinding_IReportingService");
If you want
_reporter = new ReportingServiceClient();
to work, remove the name attribute or make the name attribute value in the client endpoint defined in the client config. This will be the so called "default endpoint element" mentioned by the exception.

Integrating PayPal in C#/.NET Solution using WSDL (SOAP)

Environment :
Visual Studio 2010 Professional
.NET Framework 4
C#
Added Service Reference using the following WSDL : https://www.paypalobjects.com/wsdl/PayPalSvc.wsdl
Problem 1 : When compiled simply like this, get a bunch of errors from the Reference.cs file. Looks like namespace errors. It mentions that it cannot find the Service Reference Namespace in my project's Namespace. Therefore, I went into the Reference.cs file and whereever I got this error, I removed the project's namespace before the method names, and now it compiles.
Finally getting access to all classes.
Created and populated DoDirectPaymentReq and CustomSecurityHeader objects with the required properties.
Created an instance of PayPalAPIAAInterfaceClient class, which contains the method DoDirectPayment which takes in the arguments of type CustomSecurityHeader and DoDirectPaymentReq. Looks like this :
using (var client = new **PayPalAPIAAInterfaceClient**())
{
var credentials = new CustomSecurityHeaderType
{
Credentials = new UserIdPasswordType
{
Username = "xxxxxxxx#xxxxxx.com",
Password = "xxxxxxx",
Signature = "jksadfuhasfweakjhasf"
}
};
_doDirectPaymentResponseType = client.DoDirectPayment(ref credentials, _doDirectPaymentReq);
}
Problem 2 : After writing a TestMethod for the method which contains the above code, I get the error as follows :
System.InvalidOperationException: Could not find default endpoint element that references contract 'Paypal.PayPalAPIAAInterface' in the ServiceModel client configuration section. This might be because no configuration file was found for your application, or because no endpoint element matching this contract could be found in the client element.
at System.ServiceModel.Description.ConfigLoader.LoadChannelBehaviors(ServiceEndpoint serviceEndpoint, String configurationName)
at System.ServiceModel.ChannelFactory.ApplyConfiguration(String configurationName, Configuration configuration)
at System.ServiceModel.ChannelFactory.ApplyConfiguration(String configurationName)
at System.ServiceModel.ChannelFactory.InitializeEndpoint(String configurationName, EndpointAddress address)
at System.ServiceModel.ChannelFactory`1..ctor(String endpointConfigurationName, EndpointAddress remoteAddress)
at System.ServiceModel.EndpointTrait`1.CreateSimplexFactory()
at System.ServiceModel.ClientBase`1.CreateChannelFactoryRef(EndpointTrait`1 endpointTrait)
at System.ServiceModel.ClientBase`1.InitializeChannelFactoryRef()
at System.ServiceModel.ClientBase`1..ctor()
at PaymentEngine.Paypal.PayPalAPIAAInterfaceClient..ctor() in Reference.cs: line 30063
Therefore, so far I have not been able to make a successful transaction using PayPal SOAP protocol via using WSDL in C#.
I was under the impression that this is very simple. Simply Add Service Reference and utilize the Classes with their properties and methods created in the proxy from WSDL.
Where am I going wrong ?
Am I using the wrong WSDL ? I'd like to test against Sandbox first and then go Live.
If I am right with the WSDL, looks like the class PayPalAPIAAInterfaceClient doesn't know its endpoint, which I don't know if I am suppose to set manually or not since its already there in the WSDL definition at the end (check it out). I think the class itself should know which endpoint to call depending on whether I am using Signature or Certificate to populate CustomSecurityHeaderType.
But how does the PayPalAPIAAInterfaceClient class know whether I am trying to call into the Sandbox (testing) or it is a live transaction ?
PayPal used to have two different WSDLs for Sandbox and for Live. They can be found here :
->https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=developer/e_howto_api_soap_PayPalSOAPAPIArchitecture
After speaking to their support I was asked to use the following WSDL for both Sandbox and Live:
->https://www.paypalobjects.com/wsdl/PayPalSvc.wsdl
But how do I tell the PayPalAPIAAInterfaceClient class when it is suppose to perform Live or Sandbox tests. And also to which end point to use depending on my method of SOAP and Signature. The endpoints from PayPal are mentioned here :
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=developer/howto_api_endpoints
HELP !

You have a few problems here, but none should be too painful to resolve. First of all, when I add a Service Reference to the WSDL you link at the top of your post I don't have any of the problems with namespaces that you describe. It could be that your own namespaces/references are conflicting somehow with the auto-generated terms, or perhaps that you selected some strange option during the add reference process? A delete-and-re-add might solve the problem, or I guess you can just ignore it since you've already worked around it. (It is kind of a hassle to edit auto-generated code, however, so you should plan on a fix eventually.)
To resolve the InvalidOperationException, you probably just need to specify one of the endpoints that Visual Studio has automatically added to your app.config file. You should have something like this in your config file:
<system.serviceModel>
<client>
<endpoint name="PayPalAPI" ... />
<endpoint name="PayPalAPIAA" ... />
</client>
</system.serviceModel>
You can pass the name of the endpoint you want to the constructor of the proxy class. There are other options to solve this problem, but just specifying an endpoint is easy and clean. (Note: if you don't have this section in your config file, then something went wrong during the Add Service Reference phase. Again I would just suggest resetting your project and re-adding the reference.)
Finally, you don't want to use a using block when you make use of the proxy class in spite of it being IDisposable. Basically, there's a design bug in WCF.

I had the same problem, because I was doing unit testing.
You have to copy the application.config file to the test project, otherwise it won't find the WCF config.

How do I move service references to their own assembly?

A little background:
I'm creating a set of adapters to allow communication with mobile devices over different cellular networks. This will be achieved using a class factory pattern. At least one of the networks requires a service reference to communicate with their devices through a web service.
So far I've got 3 assemblies so far which represent:
An assembly which contains the main adapter library: this contains
The interface definition for each of the adapters
Base classes
The class factory to instantiate the specified adapter at runtime.
An assembly for each network adapter implementation.
An assembly that contains my main application.
Given that I don't want to be adding service references and their configuration to the main application assembly [as that's not relevant to the main application], how do I force each assembly's service reference to get its configuration from its own app.config?
If I have the service reference configuration in the main app.config, everything works just fine, but if I move the configuration to the adapter's app.config everything stops working throwing the following exception at the point where I new up the Soap1Client.
"Could not find default endpoint element that references contract 'MobileService.Service1Soap' in the ServiceModel client configuration section. This might be because no configuration file was found for your application, or because no endpoint element matching this contract could be found in the client element."

In the end, I just removed the service reference and added a web reference [i.e. did it the 2.0 way]. For some reason the web reference will access its own app.config instead of the main application's app.config.
Far easier than the alternative...

You can set all the options programatically.

I don't believe there is a built in .NET way to accomplish this. However you should be able to accomplish it by writing some code to parse each referenced assembly's .config file.
Here is a sample using assembly specific configuration files that should point you in the right direction: http://www.bearcanyon.com/dotnet/#AssemblySettings.
I've done something similar in a .NET Winforms app and it worked out well.

If you must have the library read the configuration for the service from a config file, then you might be out of luck. The library becomes part of the process and the process uses the configuration of the application that initiated the process.
However, in your library you could use one of the service reference proxy class constructor overloads to dynamically set the configuration when you instantiate the service reference. Then you don't have to have the service reference binding configuration in any config file. The overload I use takes two parameters: System.ServiceModel.Channels.Binding binding & System.ServiceModel.EndpointAddress remoteAddress. Note that the Binding class is a abstract class, you have to use one of the classes that inherit from it - you can find a list of them here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.servicemodel.channels.binding(v=vs.110).aspx.
For a simple http service reference I use a default instance of the BasicHttpBinding class and create an instance of the EndpointAddress class using the URL of the service I'm referencing. Obviously you would have to modify this to use https or secured services, etc.
Of course this still begs the question of how does the library get the correct service URL if you don't want to hard code it in the library? A couple of ways would be to read it from a database or a known file location.