I'm creating a module that consumes a web service on a different server. This is a custom webservice not associated with the DNN code. When I add a web reference in Visual Studio it adds a number of files to the App_WebReferences folder as well as an entry in the web.config. The webservice works fine however I'm not sure if this setup is portable, that is, I will not be able to just add the module as a zip file as there will be additions to the web.config...and possibly to the App_WebReferences folder.

I must be doing something wrong, what is the appropriate way to use webservices in DNN?

Thanks

Hi Mitch,

I have a module that has a webservice in it and then another module that consumes it. I am getting the same problem as the 2nd module adds the web.config.

I downloaded your example but you still have the web.config in it - can you explain the relationship between the web.config and the Settings.settings class that is added under Properties? It looks like the web.config defines the application level WS URL and then this could be overwritten in the Settings.Settings file?  Ierased the web.config in my project and now it works, but I am not entirely sure how to package it for deployment:

The Webservice location will always be static within a DNN installation - it calls another module under DesktopModules so this should never have to change, but it has to be on the same serer (ie. when I ship the module the webservice URL is relative to that module's location but should always be the same).

Also, the Webservice in the other module may or may not exist - they might not be using integration. Would you suggest I write a UI to select the 1st module's WS URL in the 2nd Modules Settings it they wish to use it?

I looked at iWeb but from what I can see you have to download a separate project and it is not for deployment in a module form - it is for portal level web services, unless I misunderstood.

I also need to consider web service security - only the other module should be able to call the WS from code - it should not be invoked manually - any high-level ideas that I can investigate further?

I *may* be missing something here as to the final intention of the web services you all are using, but the Settings files, the web.config changes, etc, are only if you want to instantiate the webservice directly and use right away.  You can always set the URL manually through code but still use the proxy classes as generated. 

I have a web service that I use in a lot of my DNN modules as well as several Windows applications, etc, at my place of work.  I created a class library that references the development copy of the webservice by default, but then I have some logic calls that I can use to instantiate an instance of the web service and redirect to a live copy of the web service.  Example usage:

public static UserDirectory.DirectoryService GetServiceInstance(bool useLive)
{
    UserDirectory.DirectoryService svc = new UserDirectory.DirectoryService();
   svc.Url = "http://someurl/DesktopModules/MACU.UserDirectory/DirectoryService.asmx";
   // optionally use default credentials
   // svc.UseDefaultCredentials = true;
   // optionally set credentials
   // svc.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential("someuser", "somepassword", "somedomain");
   return svc;
}

When I use that other library I don't ever copy the Settings file or the app.config that it generated when I first referenced the web service in the first place and it all still works just dandy.

*EDIT* I should add that I use the WAP method for my modules instead of the WSP method so it maintains itself completely separate from the rest of the DNN code.  Not to say that the same approach couldn't be used in WSP, but if you wanted to not use a separate class library you'd just need to take care and make sure the code is separated and if you use the "precompiled" method with the WSP, that code can be copied and deployed with the module.