Can add one Service Reference for multiple WCF Service Contracts

Question

I have multiple Service contracts defined in one WCF library which are hosted under a Windows Service. These Services are exposed as follows in Windows Service config file:

<services>
  <service behaviorConfiguration="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateServiceBehavior"
    name="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateService">
    <endpoint address="" binding="wsHttpBinding" contract="ReportingComponentLibrary.ITemplateService" bindingConfiguration="wsHttp" />
    <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" ></endpoint>
    <host>
      <baseAddresses>
        <add baseAddress="http://localhost:8080/ReportingComponentLibrary/TemplateService/" />
      </baseAddresses>
    </host>
  </service>
  <service behaviorConfiguration="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateServiceBehavior"
    name="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateReportService">
    <endpoint address="" binding="wsHttpBinding" contract="ReportingComponentLibrary.ITemplateReportService" bindingConfiguration="wsHttp" />
    <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" ></endpoint>
    <host>
      <baseAddresses>
        <add baseAddress="http://localhost:8080/ReportingComponentLibrary/TemplateReportService/" />
      </baseAddresses>
    </host>
  </service>
</services>

Now, when I add service reference in my client application,

Is it possible to add just one service reference for above two services or

I need to separate reference for each service/service contract.

Update:

Here are my application details:

I have three different projects:

WCF Service Library
Windows Service for hosting above WCF Service
Client - Console Application for Testing

Now, The App.Config in WCF Service Library is as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>     

  <system.serviceModel>
    <bindings>
      <wsHttpBinding>
        <binding name="wsHttp" maxReceivedMessageSize="50000000" maxBufferPoolSize="50000000" messageEncoding="Mtom">
          <readerQuotas maxDepth="500" maxStringContentLength="500000000" maxArrayLength="500000000"
          maxBytesPerRead="500000000" maxNameTableCharCount="500000000" />
        </binding>
      </wsHttpBinding>
    </bindings>

    <services>
      <service behaviorConfiguration="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateServiceBehavior"
        name="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateService">
        <endpoint address="" binding="wsHttpBinding" contract="ReportingComponentLibrary.ITemplateService" bindingConfiguration="wsHttp" >
          <identity>
            <dns value="localhost" />
          </identity>
        </endpoint>
        <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" ></endpoint>
        <host>
          <baseAddresses>
            <add baseAddress="http://localhost:8080/ReportingComponentLibrary/TemplateService/" />
          </baseAddresses>
        </host>
      </service>

      <service behaviorConfiguration="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateServiceBehavior"
        name="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateReportService">
        <endpoint address="" binding="wsHttpBinding" contract="ReportingComponentLibrary.ITemplateReportService" bindingConfiguration="wsHttp" >
          <identity>
            <dns value="localhost" />
          </identity>
        </endpoint>
        <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
        <host>
          <baseAddresses>
            <add baseAddress="http://localhost:8080/ReportingComponentLibrary/TemplateReportService/" />
          </baseAddresses>
        </host>
      </service>

    </services>

    <behaviors>
      <serviceBehaviors>
        <behavior name="ReportingComponentLibrary.TemplateServiceBehavior">
          <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="True"/>
          <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="True" />
        </behavior>
      </serviceBehaviors>
    </behaviors>
  </system.serviceModel>
</configuration>

And App.Config in Windows Service is same as above.

Now in my client application, I need to consume methods from both TemplateService and TemplateReportService.

So, I can always two different Service References as:

http://localhost:8080/ReportingComponentLibrary/TemplateService/ and

http://localhost:8080/ReportingComponentLibrary/TemplateReportService/

This is all working fine.

But I was wondering if there is any way(apart from the wrapper workaround you have suggested) by which I need to add only one reference and I can call methods from both the services.

Tanner Tanner · Accepted Answer · 2009-11-02T13:32:59

As it stands, I don't think this is possible, you will need 2 service references as they both implement seperate contracts. Assuming you have control of the service code, you could implement a workaround where you create a service wrapper to implements both the contracts by pointing to the two seperate services. That would allow you to have one service reference. Is there a particular issue as to why you want them both in one service as opposed to two?

EDIT: This Blog Article - Meineck.Net shows you how you can configure your services to achieve what you're after, but again it's pretty much a work around. Good luck.

Can add one Service Reference for multiple WCF Service Contracts

Update:

2 Answers