How to generate service reference with only physical wsdl file

137
votes

I have been creating and consuming web services for years and always have been able to use Visual Studio to create a service reference from the client. I have a third party service I need to work with and they refuse to open their security so I can see the wsdl and make the service reference. It's a public facing service so I don't see the need for that level of security but it is what it is.

I know this is a n00b question and I'm ashamed to be asking it, but how do I do create the equivalent Service Reference information in my client when all I have available to me is a physical copy of the wsdl the client emailed me? The web.config changes, the object layer over the SOAP data, etc. Just like with an automated Service Reference I just want to open a connection to the service and start using it with the defined objects.

The third party service is not WCF as far as I can tell but is SOAP. I'm using VS 2010 btw. Thanks in advance, Ken

2
.netweb-servicesservice-reference
possible duplicate of Create web service proxy in Visual Studio from a WSDL file – John Fouhy

2 Answers

196
votes

This may be the easiest method

  • Right click on the project and select "Add Service Reference..."
  • In the Address: box, enter the physical path (C:\test\project....) of the downloaded/Modified wsdl.
  • Hit Go
81
votes

There are two ways to go about this. You can either use the IDE to generate a WSDL, or you can do it via the command line.

1. To create it via the IDE:

In the solution explorer pane, right click on the project that you would like to add the Service to:

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Then, you can enter the path to your service WSDL and hit go:

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2. To create it via the command line:

Open a VS 2010 Command Prompt (Programs -> Visual Studio 2010 -> Visual Studio Tools)
Then execute:

WSDL /verbose C:\path\to\wsdl

WSDL.exe will then output a .cs file for your consumption.

If you have other dependencies that you received with the file, such as xsd's, add those to the argument list:

WSDL /verbose C:\path\to\wsdl C:\path\to\some\xsd C:\path\to\some\xsd

If you need VB output, use /language:VB in addition to the /verbose.