Call Web Service Node / Advanced Call Web Service

David Williams over 7 years ago

Hi all,

Is it possible to call a local copy of a wsdl from the Call Web Service Node? It seems to only like URL's. The wsdl we are trying to call is to complex, but even having difficulty calling it with the Advanced Web Service Call smart services.

Ideally we would call a local copy of the WSDL as the provider of the service cant change the WSDL exposed via the URL, instead a local copy with the service definition so we can map the inputs and outputs.

Any pointers on this would be great.

Thanks, David.

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Stefan Helzle over 7 years ago +1
A Score Level 3

You can set up a Web API Get function which serves your WSDL. It can be stored as a file and loaded using the plugin below. Another options is to just copy the XML text into your Web API expression. I…
TJ over 2 years ago in reply to Stefan Helzle +1
Certified Lead Developer

Hi @stefan, Could you please share the plugin details again? The link isn't working with the new community portal. Thanks!

0 Sathya Srinivasan
Appian Employee
over 7 years ago

As long as the WSDL is reachable via a web protocol, it should be okay. For e.g. you can try and deploy the WSDL in a local web server and point the Smart service to the http://localserver./file.wsdl . Give this a shot.
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0 venkats533 over 7 years ago

I was successful in the past to host a local copy on our web server. Then i have actually edited and removed all data structures and operations that i am not using. Original WSDL is a 9000 line and I am to bring it down to 600 lines that i needed for my application. Then I have used the expression rule version of the call web service and later replaced with "call advanced web service" plugin.
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0 Stefan Helzle
A Score Level 3
over 7 years ago

You can set up a Web API Get function which serves your WSDL. It can be stored as a file and loaded using the plugin below. Another options is to just copy the XML text into your Web API expression. I did this before. Works pretty well.

forum.appian.com/.../summary
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0 venkats533 over 7 years ago

wow - I like this idea of serving a file content via WebAPI
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0 Stefan Helzle
A Score Level 3
over 7 years ago

Yeah ... it is a bit of an awkward solution, but at least you can manage the WSDL as part of your application.
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0 David Williams over 7 years ago

Some interesting suggestions there!

Stefan - could you elaborate a bit more on how you use the Web API? I use that shared component for other processes such as reading an XML file and placing the data in to a CDT. I assume its a similar concept? Just struggling to work out how it hangs together.

Thanks, David.
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0 Stefan Helzle
A Score Level 3
over 7 years ago

When you create a Web API GET operation, there is an example that returns a CSV file. This is how I came up with the idea that it could return any text based file. Appian is not good in handling binary files so serving images through web API might not be the best idea.

I had teh same problem as @davidwi. My test for serving a WSDL file using Web API was by just creating a HTTP response with the WSDL XML content as the body. Then I tried to put the URL of the Web API into the Call Webservice Smart Service, and it works.
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0 TJ
Certified Lead Developer
over 2 years ago in reply to Stefan Helzle

Hi @stefan,

Could you please share the plugin details again? The link isn't working with the new community portal.

Thanks!
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0 Sonali
Certified Senior Developer
10 months ago in reply to Stefan Helzle

created WEB API which gives output in xml format and using the API URL in call Web service Smart Service but getting error for WSDL URL as "The WSDL requires authentication. Please provide valid credentials (APNX-1-4045-006)"
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