WCF activity

An activity that calls services that use Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)


WCF activity

Configure the WCF activity

To configure the WCF activity, do the procedure in this topic.

Video: Configure a Web Service Activity

Video: Show Data from a Web Service on an eForm

Prerequisites

  • A valid WCF Service.

Good to Know

  • In some cases, the type of the object instance returned by a web method may need to implement the IConvertible interface in order for the web method to be used with the Web Service activity.
  • Limitations

    These technical limitations apply to Web Service and WCF support in process activities and lookups:

    • Arrays of primitive data types.

      Arrays of primitive data types — for example, string, Boolean, integer, decimal — are not supported as input or output data types because this interferes with the deserialization of the array object.

      However this does work with an array of complex classes and custom classes or a list of primitive data types.

      If you have a service that returns an array of primitive data types, these workarounds are suggested:

      • Return a list objects instead of arrays — for example, List<string>, instead of string[]
      • Create a custom class that encapsulates that property — for example, a class that has a property of type string.
      • If you do not have control over the service, you can write a wrapper service that encapsulates the call to the underlying service and converts the array to a list object, or create a custom class that encapsulates that property.
    • Dictionary objects.

      Dictionary objects are not supported as input or output data type because XMLSerializer interferes with the deserialization of the dictionary object.

    • Circular references.

      Circular references are not supported in input and output objects — for example, if a class called Person contains a field of type Person that references the same class. Such a circular structure cannot be loaded in the XML Mapper.

    • Nested WSDLs.

      Web services with nested WSDLs are not supported. Consider making your service use single WSDL, or use the .Net Proxy activity.

  • In most text fields, you can use process data variables as an alternative to literal data values.
  • You can configure whether this activity waits for other activities before it runs.

    For more information, refer to How Do I Configure an Activity to Wait for Other Incoming Activities?

  • Some information about third-party integrations is outside the scope of the AgilePoint NX Product Documentation, and it is the responsibility of the vendors who create and maintain these technologies to provide this information. This includes specific business uses cases and examples; explanations for third-party concepts; details about the data models and input and output data formats for third-party technologies; and various types of IDs, URL patterns, connection string formats, and other technical information that is specific to the third-party technologies. For more information, refer to Where Can I Find Information and Examples for Third-Party Integrations?

How to Start

  1. On the Application Explorer screen, do one of these:
  2. Do one of these:
    • Add an activity:
      1. In the Process Builder, in the Activity Library, open the Web Services Web Services icon tab.
      2. On the Web Services Web Services icon tab, drag the WCF WCF icon activity onto your process.
    • Change an activity:
      1. In your process, double-click your activity.

Procedure

  1. Complete the fields on the General Configuration screen.

    For more information, refer to Configure General Options for Web Service.

  2. Click WCF Configuration WCF Configuration icon.
  3. Complete the fields on the WCF Configuration screen.

    For more information, refer to Call a Method from a WCF Service.

  4. (Optional) Click Advanced Advanced icon > E-mail Notifications E-mail Notifications icon.

    For more information, refer to Configure E-mail Notifications for Any Activity.

General Configuration

Specifies the basic settings for the WCF activity.

Figure: General Configuration screen

General Configuration screen

Fields

Field Name Definition

Display Name
Function:
Specifies the activity name that shows in your process.
Accepted Values:
One line of text that can have spaces.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Process Data Variables:
No
Example:
This is a common configuration field that is used in many examples. Refer to:
  • Examples - Step-by-step use case examples, information about what types of examples are provided in the AgilePoint NX Product Documentation, and other resources where you can find more examples.

Description
Function:
Specifies an optional text description for your activity.
Accepted Values:
More than one line of text.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Process Data Variables:
No

Connection Timeout (Seconds)
Function:
Specifies the number of seconds permitted to complete an action before the connection stops.
Accepted Values:
An integer, representing a number of seconds.
Default Value:
600
Accepts Process Data Variables:
No

WCF Configuration

Sets up communication with a WCF service.

Figure: WCF Configuration screen

WCF Configuration screen

Fields

Field Name Definition

WCF Service
Function:
Specifies the access token that connects to WCF service.
Accepted Values:
A list of access tokens configured for your environment.
Default Value:
A process data variable based on the parameter name.
Example:
Refer to:

Add Token Add Token icon
Opens this Screen:
Access Tokens for WCF Service
Function of this Screen:
Configure an access token to connect to a WCF service.

Service Operation
Function:
Specifies the name of the method to call.
Accepted Values:
A valid web method name from the specified WCF service.
Default Value:
None
Example:
GetSalesInfo

Also refer to:

Endpoint URL
Function:
Specifies the URL of the endpoint of the web service or WCF service you want to connect.
Accepted Values:
A valid endpoint URL.
Default Value:
None.

However, once a web service is connected, the endpoint URL shows if it is defined in the WSDL file.

Accepts Process Data Variables:
No
Example:
Refer to:
Limitations:

Some information about third-party integrations is outside the scope of the AgilePoint NX Product Documentation, and it is the responsibility of the vendors who create and maintain these technologies to provide this information. This includes specific business uses cases and examples; explanations for third-party concepts; details about the data models and input and output data formats for third-party technologies; and various types of IDs, URL patterns, connection string formats, and other technical information that is specific to the third-party technologies. For more information, refer to Where Can I Find Information and Examples for Third-Party Integrations?

Generate Message Contracts
Function:
Specifies if the method you call supplies a message contract or not.

A message contract gives the structure of a SOAP message.

Accepted Values:
  • Selected - The method gives message contracts.
  • Deselected - The method does not give message contracts.
Default Value:
Deselected

Request Mapping
Function:
Connects the WCF service request to your schema. This is mandatory only if the request passes data from the process schema to parameters in the service operation.
To Open this Field:
  1. On the WCF Configuration screen, click the Request tab. You can not map the schema if the WCF service type is None.
Accepted Values:
Click the Schema Mapping Schema Mapping icon button to open the Schema Mapper.

Use this screen to connect the request to the data model for your process.

Default Value:
None
Example:
Refer to:
Limitations:

Some information about third-party integrations is outside the scope of the AgilePoint NX Product Documentation, and it is the responsibility of the vendors who create and maintain these technologies to provide this information. This includes specific business uses cases and examples; explanations for third-party concepts; details about the data models and input and output data formats for third-party technologies; and various types of IDs, URL patterns, connection string formats, and other technical information that is specific to the third-party technologies. For more information, refer to Where Can I Find Information and Examples for Third-Party Integrations?

Map Response to AgilePoint Schema
Function:
Specifies if the WCF service response connects to your schema.
To Open this Field:
  1. On the WCF Configuration screen, click the Response tab. You can not map the schema if the WCF service type is None.
Accepted Values:
Click the Schema Mapping Schema Mapping icon button to open the Schema Mapper.

Use this screen to connect the response to the data model for your process.

Default Value:
None
Example:
Refer to:
Limitations:

Some information about third-party integrations is outside the scope of the AgilePoint NX Product Documentation, and it is the responsibility of the vendors who create and maintain these technologies to provide this information. This includes specific business uses cases and examples; explanations for third-party concepts; details about the data models and input and output data formats for third-party technologies; and various types of IDs, URL patterns, connection string formats, and other technical information that is specific to the third-party technologies. For more information, refer to Where Can I Find Information and Examples for Third-Party Integrations?

Store the Response in Custom Attribute
Function:
Specifies the name of the process data variable that stores the response to a method call to a WCF service.
To Open this Field:
  1. On the WCF Configuration screen, click the Response tab. You can not map the schema if the WCF service type is None.
Accepted Values:
A process data variable.
Default Value:
None
Accepts Process Data Variables:
Yes
Limitations:

Some information about third-party integrations is outside the scope of the AgilePoint NX Product Documentation, and it is the responsibility of the vendors who create and maintain these technologies to provide this information. This includes specific business uses cases and examples; explanations for third-party concepts; details about the data models and input and output data formats for third-party technologies; and various types of IDs, URL patterns, connection string formats, and other technical information that is specific to the third-party technologies. For more information, refer to Where Can I Find Information and Examples for Third-Party Integrations?