SOAP API Client Creation in C# Examples

Introduction to SOAP API Client Creation in C

SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a protocol used for exchanging structured information in web services. In this article, we will explore practical examples of SOAP API client creation in C#. These examples will guide you through different contexts to help you understand how to effectively interact with SOAP APIs using C#.

Example 1: Basic SOAP Client for Weather Service

Context

In this example, we will create a simple SOAP client that communicates with a weather web service. This client will send requests to retrieve weather data based on a city name.

using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Xml.Linq;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var soapEnvelope = new XElement("soap:Envelope",
            new XAttribute(XNamespace.Xmlns + "soap", "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"),
            new XElement("soap:Body",
                new XElement("GetWeather",
                    new XElement("CityName", "New York")
                )
            )
        );

        using (var httpClient = new HttpClient())
        {
            var content = new StringContent(soapEnvelope.ToString(), System.Text.Encoding.UTF8, "text/xml");
            var response = await httpClient.PostAsync("http://www.webservicex.net/globalweather.asmx", content);
            var responseContent = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
            Console.WriteLine(responseContent);
        }
    }
}

Notes

• Make sure to replace the URL with the actual SOAP endpoint.
• The returned XML can be parsed using LINQ to XML for further data extraction.

Example 2: SOAP Client with Authentication

Context

This example demonstrates creating a SOAP client that requires authentication to access a secure web service. We will use basic authentication to send credentials along with our request.

using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Xml.Linq;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var soapEnvelope = new XElement("soap:Envelope",
            new XAttribute(XNamespace.Xmlns + "soap", "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"),
            new XElement("soap:Body",
                new XElement("GetUserDetails",
                    new XElement("UserId", "12345")
                )
            )
        );

        using (var httpClient = new HttpClient())
        {
            var byteArray = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("username:password");
            httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization = new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Basic", Convert.ToBase64String(byteArray));

            var content = new StringContent(soapEnvelope.ToString(), System.Text.Encoding.UTF8, "text/xml");
            var response = await httpClient.PostAsync("https://secure.example.com/service.asmx", content);
            var responseContent = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
            Console.WriteLine(responseContent);
        }
    }
}

Notes

• Ensure that you replace the URL and credentials with actual values.
• Always handle sensitive information securely, and consider using environment variables for credentials.

Example 3: SOAP Client with Custom Headers

Context

In this example, we will create a SOAP client that sends custom headers along with our request. This can be useful for scenarios where the web service requires specific metadata to process the request.

using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Xml.Linq;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var soapEnvelope = new XElement("soap:Envelope",
            new XAttribute(XNamespace.Xmlns + "soap", "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"),
            new XElement("soap:Body",
                new XElement("CalculateTax",
                    new XElement("Amount", "1000")
                )
            )
        );

        using (var httpClient = new HttpClient())
        {
            httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Client-ID", "123456");
            httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Api-Key", "abcdef");

            var content = new StringContent(soapEnvelope.ToString(), System.Text.Encoding.UTF8, "text/xml");
            var response = await httpClient.PostAsync("http://api.example.com/taxservice.asmx", content);
            var responseContent = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
            Console.WriteLine(responseContent);
        }
    }
}

Notes

• Custom headers can be crucial for API management and tracking.
• Always check the API documentation to see what headers are required or supported.