Unraveling the Mysteries of Web Service References with Visual Studio 2019

Web services – do you know them, or do they mystify you? These enigmatic entities are essential to the modern application development process since they establish communication channels and facilitate data transfer among software systems. To harness this power, industry behemoth Visual Studio 2019 offers robust development tools specifically engineered to serve businesses worldwide. Developers use these tools to create web services engineered to promote interoperability with other applications.

Defining Web Service Reference:

Before navigating the process of adding a Web Service Reference in Visual Studio 2019, it is imperative to understand the meaning of a Web Service Reference. Simply said, Web Service Reference connects your apps to the web services that send and receive data.

Visual Studio 2019 has simplified the process of adding a Web Service Reference by allowing the selection of services best suited to your needs, and creating codes that interact with those services in your projects.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Web Service Reference in Visual Studio 2019:

1. Finding the Desired Web Service:

First, Finding a Web Service You Want to Use is the primary step when adding a web service reference in Visual Studio 2019. There are numerous web services available that’ll make your decision-making process seem like a daunting task. However, You can navigate this phase using search engines like Google or Bing to find appropriate web services or browse services directories like ProgrammableWeb or API Directory.

2. Obtaining Web Service URL:

Once you have found the desired web services best suited for your needs, you can obtain the URL of the Web Service. Typically, web services have URLs that end in .asmx or .svc. You can get the URL by contacting the service provider or by checking the documentation provided by the web service.

3. Adding a Web Reference to the Project:

With the URL in hand, it’s time to add a web reference to your project. To do this, you will have to open your project in Visual Studio 2019 and right-click on the project. In the context menu, select Add > Service Reference. In the Add Service Reference dialog, enter the Web Service URL in the “Address” field and click on the “Go” button.

Visual Studio 2019 will now display the available services in the web service. Select the service you intend to use and click the “OK” button to add the service reference to your project.

4. Generating Code:

With the web reference added to the project, its now time to generate code that enables you to interact with the service in the project. To do this, you will have to right-click on the web reference in the Solution Explorer and choose the “Update Service Reference” option. This will generate code based on the information provided by the web service.

Access the code generated by expanding the web reference in the Solution Explorer and open the Reference.cs file. This file contains the client code that enables you to call the functions provided by the web service.

5. Consuming the Web Service:

With the web reference added and the code generated, you can now consume the web service in your project. To do this is easy, simply create an instance of the web service client class and call the functions provided by the service.

For instance, if the web service provides a function that returns a list of customers, you can call the function as follows:

“`
MyWebServiceClient client = new MyWebServiceClient();
List customers = client.GetCustomers();
“`

In this example, `MyWebServiceClient` is the client class generated by Visual Studio 2019, and `GetCustomers()` is the function provided by the web service.

Final Thoughts

Adding a web service reference in Visual Studio 2019 might seem like an insurmountable feat for beginners, but with the right information, it’s straightforward. Unveiling the Powers of Web Service References is an essential skill for any developer as web services become more commonplace in modern application development. By following these simple steps, you can quickly and efficiently connect your application to the necessary web services to send and receive data.