Formatting XML for a web service

rbross

Hello

Does anyone have any examples of how to format XML to pass to a web service?
We were hoping we could just past the XML into an attribute text field and add the attribute tag into the XML string but that did not work?

Any examples would help!

Thanks🙂

UnionSystems

Aware IM can expose BO instances as a REST service with XML output. I use distinct Non Persistent Business Objects as a way to define what attributes the XML will have. Not certain if you can format the XML beyond this ie you cannot change the XML beyond defining attributes of the BO and giving instances attributes value.

From memory you need to :

Create the BO
Create a process to create an instance of the BO
Create a service that references the process in 2

The REST output is then available at a URL something like
http://localhost:8080/AwareIM/REST/BusinessSpace/ServiceName

There

BobK

Roger,

Since you are trying to use XML, I assume you are trying to call a SOAP web service.

If my assumption is correct, have you looked at "How to use a web-service" on page 58 in the "AwareIM How To" manual?

rbross

I am actually using a Java Plug-In and passing a parameter string with the XML formatting required.
So I am not actually making the call via AwareIM.

I did find the page in How-To and will read through that to see if it helps at all with the proper formatting.
I can then Update a String attribute in LIRU and send that as the parameter to the Java Plug-In.

Thanks

BobK

Roger,

The How To manual will not help with the XML formatting because AwareIM handles that internally and you do not have to worry about it. That is why I would recommend using AwareIM to handle the call to your web service. However, Aware does have several limitations with web services which might prevent you from doing that.

If you must, or just decide to, go down the java plug-in path, here are a couple of thoughts:

First, how fluent are you in java? I hope I am not telling you something you already know, but there is at least 1 (probably several) java libraries that might be helpful with writing a web service client. Google "java soap client". I have not used any of them, I just know the exist, so I can not tell you which one is the best or how to use any of them.

I have written several java plug-ins for Aware and would be willing to help if you have any questions about that piece.

Is the web service you are trying to access public so that I could look at it? If so, I might be able to give you specific suggestions on the required XML.

rbross

Bob,

The Java plug-in I am using was written for our application.
The rule in the process looks like this:
Parameter.results=EditJavaPlusinName(BO.AtrributeString)
The attributestring parameter has the formatted XML in it. We use another function of the plug-in called GetJavapluginName(DocumentString) which returns a list of documents and writes them to the DB.
In this string all the values are fixed and we don't need to insert any values in the XML so this works fine.

This issue I am having is I need to pass a values in the XML and I am not sure how to get it into the XML.
Here is what the XML Looks like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<request>
	<url>https://api-app.xtracta.com/v1/documents/update</url>
<companyid>123456</companyid>
	<params>
		<param name="api_key" value="123456789nbhguthfj"/>
		<param name="document_id" value="435" />
<param name="api_download_status" value="archived" />
	</params>
</request>

The value I need to put into the XML is the document_Id. this call will set this document to a status of "archived" so it will not be downloaded again.
I was hoping I could just add the Tag <<InvoiceHdr.DocumentId>> to the XML string and have AwareIM translate it for me, but the result is empty and I get this error
"Internal error. The root element is required in a well-formed document."

Even if I hard code the documentId I still get the error nothing is returned. I tried use Fiddler to test this but I get back a 401 error in Fiddler.

With the Tag in the XML it looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<request>
	<url>https://api-app.xtracta.com/v1/documents/update</url>
<companyid>123456</companyid>
	<params>
		<param name="api_key" value="123456789nbhguthfj"/>
		<param name="document_id" value="<<InvoiceHdr.DocumentId>>" />
<param name="api_download_status" value="archived" />
	</params>
</request>

So again the rule looks like this and the string contains the formatted XML:
Parameter.results=EditJavaPlusinName(BO.AtrributeString)

If I try to build the string in the process before the Call and update an attribute string from LIRU I get syntax errors from Aware. You cannot use " double quote and have to replace them with `
if try to put quotes ' ' around the XML I get a syntax error from Aware....

Any Idea's???

BobK

Roger,

I do not believe you can use tags like <<InvoiceHdr.DocumentId>> when using Plain Text.

But, Here is 1 way to get the DocumentId into the XML:

Create a Plain Text field in SystemSetting, I will call it XMLString.
Populate this field with your XML (include the double quotes, they are allowed here).
Like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<request>
   <url>https://api-app.xtracta.com/v1/documents/update</url>
<companyid>123456</companyid>
   <params>
      <param name="api_key" value="123456789nbhguthfj"/>
      <param name="document_id" value="InvoiceHdr.DocumentId" />
<param name="api_download_status" value="archived" />
   </params>
</request>

Notice the InvoiceHdr.DocumentId in the document_id value
That is just a place holder and can be anything, but what ever you put in there will be used as the 2nd parameter for the REPLACE_PATTERN function in the following rule

Use the following rule before calling your plug-in to populate the BO.AttributdString

BO.AtributeString=REPLACE_PATTERN(SystemSettings.XMLString, 'InvoiceHdr.DocumentId',AS_STRING(InvoiceHdr.DocumentId))

I assume InvoiceHdr.DocumentId is a number, so you need the AS_STRING.

rbross

Thanks Bob,

That looks like it will work. I will give it a try. 🙂