Problem between Web services and ASP application

[mike55]

Hi all

 

am having the following problem between my asp frontend and the web server back end:

System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Server was unable to process request. ---> System.InvalidOperationException: There was an error generating the XML document. ---> System.InvalidOperationException: The type System.String[] may not be used in this context. at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationWriter.WriteTypedPrimitive(String name, String ns, Object o, Boolean xsiType) at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationWriter1.Write1_Object(String n, String ns, Object o, Boolean isNullable, Boolean needType) at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationWriter1.Write11_wsCustomer_viewCustomerDataResponse(Object[] p) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Serialize(XmlWriter xmlWriter, Object o, XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces, String encodingStyle) at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Serialize(XmlWriter xmlWriter, Object o, XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces) at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapServerProtocol.WriteReturns(Object[] returnValues, Stream outputStream) at System.Web.Services.Protocols.WebServiceHandler.WriteReturns(Object[] returnValues) at System.Web.Services.Protocols.WebServiceHandler.Invoke() --- End of inner exception stack trace ---

 

Now my database code is correct, the problem arises when I go to send the data back to the frontend. Here is my code for the backend:

Imports System
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.SqlClient

<WebMethod(Description:="View data on a customer.")> _
   Public Function wsCustomer_viewCustomerData(ByVal customerName As String)
        Try
           Dim daDataAdapter As New SqlDataAdapter
           Dim dsDataset As New DataSet
           Dim returnData(11) As String
           result = False
           'Open the connection
           conSQL = SQLConnection.connectSQL()
           conSQL.Open()

           'Execute the statement
           commSQL.Connection = conSQL
           commSQL.CommandType = CommandType.Text

           'Construct the SQL command & Execute
           commSQL.CommandText = "Select  CustomerRef, CustomerName, CustomerType, Address, County, Phone, Fax, Email, MinCallRate, MaxCallRate, Comments from Customers where CustomerName = '" + CustomerName + "' and status = 1"
           drDataReader = commSQL.ExecuteReader

           While (drDataReader.Read())
               returnData(0) = drDataReader.GetSqlInt32(0).ToString    'ref
               returnData(1) = drDataReader.GetString(1)               'name
               returnData(2) = drDataReader.GetString(2)               'type
               returnData(3) = drDataReader.GetString(3)               'address
               returnData(4) = drDataReader.GetString(4)               'county
               returnData(5) = drDataReader.GetString(5)               'phone
               returnData(6) = drDataReader.GetString(6)               'fax
               returnData(7) = drDataReader.GetString(7)               'Email
               returnData(8) = drDataReader.GetString(8)               'MinCallRate
               returnData(9) = drDataReader.GetString(9)               'MaxCallRate()
               returnData(10) = drDataReader.GetString(10)             'Comments
           End While
           drDataReader.Close()

           conSQL.Close()

           Return returnData

       Catch ex As Exception
           conSQL.Close()
           Throw ex
       End Try
   End Function

 

And here is my frontend code:

'Get the data
       Dim returnData(11) As String
       returnData = wsCustomer.wsCustomer_viewCustomerData(ddCustomers.SelectedValue.ToString.Replace("'", "`"))
       lblRef.Text = returnData(0)
       txtName.Text = returnData(1)
       ddCustomerType.SelectedItem.Text = returnData(2)
       txtAddress.Text = returnData(3)
       txtCounty.Text = returnData(4)
       txtPhone.Text = returnData(5)
       txtFax.Text = returnData(6)
       txtEmail.Text = returnData(7)
       txtMinCallRate.Text = returnData(8)
       txtMaxCallRate.Text = returnData(9)
       txtComments.Text = returnData(10)

 

Would appreciate any suggestions.

 

Mike55

[PlausiblyDamp]

Try changing the webmethod declaration to

 _
   Public Function wsCustomer_viewCustomerData(ByVal customerName As String) as string()

 

Also you may find putting Option Strict On at the top of the source file will prevent problems like this slipping through.

[mike55]

Try changing the webmethod declaration to

<WebMethod(Description:="View data on a customer.")> _
   Public Function wsCustomer_viewCustomerData(ByVal customerName As String) as string()

 

Also you may find putting Option Strict On at the top of the source file will prevent problems like this slipping through.

 

 

Hi

 

Am still getting the following error, but with a different page this time:

System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Server was unable to process request. ---> System.InvalidOperationException: There was an error generating the XML document. ---> System.InvalidOperationException: The type System.String[] may not be used in this context. at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationWriter.WriteTypedPrimitive(String name, String ns, Object o, Boolean xsiType) at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationWriter1.Write1_Object(String n, String ns, Object o, Boolean isNullable, Boolean needType) at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationWriter1.Write47_wsTimeDetail_getTimeDataResponse(Object[] p) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Serialize(XmlWriter xmlWriter, Object o, XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces, String encodingStyle) at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Serialize(XmlWriter xmlWriter, Object o, XmlSerializerNamespaces namespaces) at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapServerProtocol.WriteReturns(Object[] returnValues, Stream outputStream) at System.Web.Services.Protocols.WebServiceHandler.WriteReturns(Object[] returnValues) at System.Web.Services.Protocols.WebServiceHandler.Invoke() --- End of inner exception stack trace ---

 

Now on going through my code, i nearly positive that the problem is to do with the references...

 

In relation to adding Option Strict On to the source file, where do i add it and what do you mean by the source file (dumb question, i know!)

 

Mike55

[PlausiblyDamp]

Are you getting the other error calling the same function or a different one?

 

You can just type Option Strict at the very top of each of the .vb files (classes, code-behind etc.)

[mike55]

Are you getting the other error calling the same function or a different one?

 

You can just type Option Strict at the very top of each of the .vb files (classes, code-behind etc.)

 

I don't think that Option Strict is an option creates a hell of a lot more errors than it solves.

 

The function works perfectly if I am passing dataset or single string variables between the webservice and the frontend. However the minute I switch to a string() all hell breaks loose.

 

Mike55

[PlausiblyDamp]

Are you declaring return types on all your functions? If not then you will get errors at run-time.

Although Option Strict may cause lots of errors it is only highlighting places where you have potential problems - if you can fix them in the compiler you will not have to keep suffering crashes at run-time.

[mike55]

Are you declaring return types on all your functions? If not then you will get errors at run-time.

Although Option Strict may cause lots of errors it is only highlighting places where you have potential problems - if you can fix them in the compiler you will not have to keep suffering crashes at run-time.

 

 

IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Don't know why, but the damn think works...Thanks for the help.

 

Mike55

[PlausiblyDamp]

If you do not specify a return type it assumes object - this will not always result in the correct behaviour at run-time. Option Strict is a good way to catch these things.