How can I support XML with or without namespace, with my WCF HTTP REST service

Question

I have a series of objects that look like this:

namespace MyNamespace
{
  [DataContract(Namespace="")]
  public class MyClass1
  {
    [DataMember]
    public string MyProperty {get;set;}
  }
}

I have a method which exposes the WebInvoke that looks like this (very simplified as this actually does nothing right now, but still works for this test)

[WebInvoke(UriTemplate = "", Method="POST")]
public MyNamespace.MyClass1 GetItem(MyClass1 postedItem) { return postedItem; }

I would really like to be able to accept XML that looks like this:

<MyClass1>
  <MyProperty>1</MyProperty>
</MyClass1>

or this:

<MyClass1 xmlns:"http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/MyNamespace">
  <MyProperty>1</MyProperty>
</MyClass1>

But so far my research seems to indicate this is not possible. My only idea right now is to use a IDispatchMessageInspector and consume the message, remove the xmlns namespace, and then allow WCF to continue processing the message. I have not had a lot of luck with this however, because once I consume the message it is no longer available for WCF to consume and deserialize.

Is there an easier way? Is there a better way?

carlosfigueira · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-21 21:59:23Z

You can use the dispatcher, but once you consume the message, you'll need to recreate it before returning from the method. The code below shows an example of it.

public class StackOverflow_7506072
{
    [DataContract(Name = "MyClass1", Namespace = "")]
    public class MyClass1
    {
        [DataMember]
        public string MyProperty { get; set; }
    }
    [ServiceContract]
    public class Service
    {
        [WebInvoke(UriTemplate = "", Method = "POST")]
        public MyClass1 GetItem(MyClass1 postedItem) { return postedItem; }
    }
    public class MyInspector : IEndpointBehavior, IDispatchMessageInspector
    {
        public void AddBindingParameters(ServiceEndpoint endpoint, BindingParameterCollection bindingParameters)
        {
        }

        public void ApplyClientBehavior(ServiceEndpoint endpoint, ClientRuntime clientRuntime)
        {
        }

        public void ApplyDispatchBehavior(ServiceEndpoint endpoint, EndpointDispatcher endpointDispatcher)
        {
            endpointDispatcher.DispatchRuntime.MessageInspectors.Add(this);
        }

        public void Validate(ServiceEndpoint endpoint)
        {
        }

        public object AfterReceiveRequest(ref Message request, IClientChannel channel, InstanceContext instanceContext)
        {
            MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream();
            XmlWriter w = XmlWriter.Create(ms);
            request.WriteMessage(w);
            w.Flush();
            ms.Position = 0;
            XElement element = XElement.Load(ms);
            if (element.Name.NamespaceName == "http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/MyNamespace")
            {
                element.Name = XName.Get(element.Name.LocalName, "");
                foreach (XElement child in element.Descendants())
                {
                    if (child.Name.NamespaceName == "http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/MyNamespace")
                    {
                        child.Name = XName.Get(child.Name.LocalName, "");
                    }
                }

                element.Attribute("xmlns").Remove();
            }

            XmlReader r = element.CreateReader();
            Message newRequest = Message.CreateMessage(r, int.MaxValue, request.Version);
            newRequest.Properties.CopyProperties(request.Properties);
            request = newRequest;
            return null;
        }

        public void BeforeSendReply(ref Message reply, object correlationState)
        {
        }
    }
    public static void Test()
    {
        string baseAddress = "http://" + Environment.MachineName + ":8000/Service";
        ServiceHost host = new ServiceHost(typeof(Service), new Uri(baseAddress));
        ServiceEndpoint endpoint = host.AddServiceEndpoint(typeof(Service), new WebHttpBinding(), "");
        endpoint.Behaviors.Add(new WebHttpBehavior());
        endpoint.Behaviors.Add(new MyInspector());
        host.Open();
        Console.WriteLine("Host opened");

        WebClient c = new WebClient();
        c.Headers[HttpRequestHeader.ContentType] = "text/xml";
        string xml = "<MyClass1><MyProperty>123</MyProperty></MyClass1>";
        Console.WriteLine(c.UploadString(baseAddress + "/", xml));

        c = new WebClient();
        c.Headers[HttpRequestHeader.ContentType] = "text/xml";
        xml = "<MyClass1 xmlns=\"http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/MyNamespace\"><MyProperty>123</MyProperty></MyClass1>";
        Console.WriteLine(c.UploadString(baseAddress + "/", xml));

        Console.Write("Press ENTER to close the host");
        Console.ReadLine();
        host.Close();
    }
}

Thanks, that is exactly what I needed. I will implement your suggestion.

John Saunders · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-22 05:25:15Z

0

This is a horrible idea. You're treating XML as though the standard doesn't matter.

The element MyClass1 in the "http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/MyNamespace" namespace is not the same as the element MyClass in the default namespace.

answered Sep 22, 2011 at 5:25

John Saunders

162k26 gold badges252 silver badges403 bronze badges

Comments

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:03:33Z

0

You could also use WcfRestContrib to inject a custom XmlSerializer which supports this behavior. An example which uses an XmlSerializer that always omits namespaces entirely is here. You'll need to work out how to update the XmlSerializer to optionally support namespaces for deserialization.

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:03

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Feb 13, 2012 at 20:13

Redwood

69.8k45 gold badges131 silver badges187 bronze badges

Comments

Tushar Kesare · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-12 16:31:59Z

0

If you set Namespace for service to Empty, you do not need to pass xmlns. But you need root xml tag matching to method name i.e.

<GetItem>
<MyClass1>
  <MyProperty>1</MyProperty>
</MyClass1>
</GetItem>

answered Mar 12, 2014 at 16:31

Tushar Kesare

83010 silver badges27 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How can I support XML with or without namespace, with my WCF HTTP REST service

4 Answers 4

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

4 Answers 4

1 Comment

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related