Re: SOAP::Lite client and .NET server, array return

The best resolution for the problem I initially had was to switch my web
service to use SOAP RPC encoding, with the [SoapRpcMethod] C# method
attribute.

Unfortunately, I have to support a Java client as well, which is proving
to be much more problematic. I've found that IBM's wsdl2java stub
generator tool can be convinced to work with document/literal encoding
fairly easily but is very nearly impossible to use with SOAP RPC
encoding.

So, the best resolution to my Perl interop problem was is in conflict
with the only feasable resolution to my Java interop problems.

    As an aside, is everyone else as unimpressed with Apache SOAP as I
am? It is virtually
    undocumented and completely unusable without the stub generator. I
seek alternatives.

The below patch would allow me to use my Perl client with the
document/literal server, but has the undesireable--if not outright
buggy--behavior of creating arrays for multiple values and creating
scalars for single or nil values. Reminds me of a particular horror of
Mason. Since I'm not exposing the SOAP::Lite interface directly to my
developers, I can apply this patch and work around that bug for the time
being.


But is SOAP::Lite client interoperability with document/literal web
services reasonable to expect in the near term from release code?

If SOAP::Lite won't become compatible, I can double up the .NET web
service to vend both interfaces, one for Java and one for Perl. However,
I'd prefer not to have to support the two interfaces. If this patch will
make document/literal encoding fly for my Perl client and compatible
document/literal functionality will appear in release code in the near
future, that satisfies me and I won't bother to double the interface.


Additionally, are there any other problems I should be aware of in using
SOAP::Lite with document/literal encoding?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Discussion of implementing SOAP applications today
> [mailto:SOAP@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Eric Promislow
> Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 1:32 PM
> To: SOAP@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [SOAP] SOAP::Lite client and .NET server, array return
>
>
> Hello, Gordon,
>
> There's a bug in SOAP::Lite v. 0.5x, which hasn't made its way
> into the released version yet.  I would apply this patch manually,
> as the code changed from 0.51 to 0.52.  The patch assumes that if
> the first two child elements have the same name, all the elements
> do, and an array should be constructed.  This isn't just .NET servers,
> but any server returing an array of elements.
>
> - Eric
>
> --- Lite.bak.pm Thu Apr  4 11:06:32 2002
> +++ Lite.pm     Thu Apr  4 11:06:55 2002
> @@ -1828,11 +1828,16 @@
>        return defined $class && $class ne 'Array' ?
> bless($res => $class) : $res;
>
>   } elsif ($name =~ /^\{$SOAP::Constants::NS_ENC\}Struct$/ ||
> !$schemaclass->can($method) && (ref $children || defined
> $class && $value =~ /^\s*$/)) {
> -    my $res = {};
>        $self->hrefs->{$id} = $res if defined $id;
> -    %$res = map {$self->decode_object($_)} @{$children || []};
> -    return defined $class && $class ne 'SOAPStruct' ?
> bless($res => $class) : $res;
> -
> +    if (@{$children} > 1 && $children->[0]->[0] eq
> $children->[1]->[0]) {
> +        my $res = [];
> +        @$res = map { scalar(($self->decode_object($_))[1]) }
> @{$children || []};
> +        return defined $class && $class ne 'Array' ?
> bless($res => $class) : $res;
> +    } else {
> +        my $res = {};
> +        %$res = map {$self->decode_object($_)} @{$children || []};
> +        return defined $class && $class ne 'Struct' ? bless($res =>
> $class) : $res;
>
> +    }
>      } else {
>        my $res;
>        if ($schemaclass->can($method)) {
>
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Date:    Tue, 3 Sep 2002 22:49:04 -0400
> > From:    Gordon Henriksen <gordon@xxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: SOAP::Lite client and .NET server, array return
> >
> > I'm having a problem with a .NET server and a SOAP::Lite
> client. I've
> > searched with Google and on this list's archives, but found no help.
> > Both of these programs are under my complete control, but
> my deadline is
> > short and the SOAP interface must be frozen soon.
> >
> > When deserializing the return array, the SOAP::Lite client is
> > eliminating all but the last of my array elements. For
> example, given
> > this SOAP response from the .NET server:
> >
> > [example omitted...]
> >
> > I'm not skipping any attributes (except the namespaces); this is
> > structurally how the response from the .NET server looks,
> according to
> > SOAP::Lite (using "on_debug => sub { print @_ }").
> >
> > However, SOAP::Lite is deserializing this:
> >
> >   {
> >     record => {
> >       field => 3,
> >     },
> >     aBool => "false"
> >   }
> >
> > I'm a little bit befuddled. Obviously, .NET isn't using a
> > SOAP-ENC:arrayType attribute. Shouldn't it be? If so, does
> anyone know
> > what do I need to do to make it do so?
> >
> > Acknowledging that "SOAP::Lite does not support complex
> types," .NET's
> > WSDL for this structure is as follows:
> >
> > [WSDL omitted...]
> >
> > --
> >
> > Gordon Henriksen
> > IT & Engineering
> > ICLUBcentral Inc.
> > gordon@xxxxxxxxx
> >
> > You can read messages from the SOAP archive, unsubscribe
> from SOAP, or subscribe to other
> > DevelopMentor lists at http://discuss.develop.com.
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > End of SOAP Digest - 1 Sep 2002 to 3 Sep 2002 (#2002-183)
> > *********************************************************
>
> You can read messages from the SOAP archive, unsubscribe from
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> DevelopMentor lists at http://discuss.develop.com.
>
>

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