Error using node-soap in NodeJS

Question

I'm trying to consume a WSDL with node-soap. I use it as follows in my controller:

this.getSoap = function (request, response) {
var soap = require('node-soap');

var url = 'http://identificacion.uci.cu/servicios/v5/servicios.php';
var args = { IdExpediente: '016381' };

soap.createClient(url, function (err, client) {
    client.ObtenerFotoDadoIdExpediente(args, function (err, result) {
        if (err) {
            throw err
            client.describe();
        } else
            console.log(result);
    });
});

return response.render('index', {
    variable: 'valor'
    });
};

And when I call I get this response in the browser:

Object function SOAPClient(options, fn) { fn = this.fn = fn; options = this.options = _.extend({}, defaults, options); var deferred; this.namespaces = ''; this.methods = ''; this.body = function (options) { return "" + "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope\/\" " + "xmlns:xsi=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/XMLSchema-instance\" " + "xmlns:xsd=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/XMLSchema\" " + options.namespaces + ">" + "" + options.methods + "" + ''; }; this.newRequest(); return this; } has no method 'createClient'

TypeError: Object function SOAPClient(options, fn) {
fn = this.fn = fn;
options = this.options = _.extend({}, defaults, options);

var deferred;

this.namespaces = '';
this.methods = '';
this.body = function (options) {
    return "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>" +
        "<SOAP-ENV:Envelope " +
        "xmlns:SOAP-ENV=\"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope\/\" " +
        "xmlns:xsi=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/XMLSchema-instance\" " +
        "xmlns:xsd=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/XMLSchema\" " +
        options.namespaces +
        ">" +

        "<SOAP-ENV:Body>" +
            options.methods +
        "</SOAP-ENV:Body>" +

    '</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>';
};

this.newRequest();

return this;
} has no method 'createClient'
at Object.getSoap (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/src/SoapModule  /controller/soapController.js:19:10)
at module.exports (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/src/SoapModule/resources/config/routing.js:16:20)
at Layer.handle [as handle_request] (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/node_modules/express/lib/router/layer.js:82:5)
at next (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/node_modules/express/lib/router/route.js:110:13)
at Route.dispatch (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/node_modules/express/lib/router/route.js:91:3)
at Layer.handle [as handle_request] (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/node_modules/express/lib/router/layer.js:82:5)
at /home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:267:22
at Function.proto.process_params (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:321:12)
at next (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:261:10)
at expressInit (/home/heimdall/Proyectos/myNODE/node_modules/express/lib/middleware/init.js:23:5)

I use this documentation: Github project

Now my file look that:

var soap = require('soap');

// url del wsdl
this.getSoap = function (request, response) {
var url = 'http://identificacion.uci.cu/servicios/v5/servicios.php';
var args = { IdExpediente: '016381' };

soap.createClient(url, function (err, client) {
    if (err) {
        console.log(err);
    } else {
        client.ObtenerFotoDadoIdExpediente(args, function (err, result) {
            if (err) {
                throw err
                client.describe();
            } else
                console.log(result);
        });
    }
});

And obtain this in my server:

Cannot set property 'descriptions' of null

Joey Joey · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-08T19:38:28

First things first -- when an error is thrown specifying an object "has no method," and we expect there to be one by the given name, this typically suggests the object (or class) failed to be defined properly via the definition or an incorrect require statement (not necessarily that you're using it improperly).

Looking at the documentation link you've provided, the initial item that stands out to me to be causing this issue is the require('node-soap'); statement. While the project is called "node-soap" on github, the require statements provided in the documentation indicate that the package is by the name of "soap".

Try replacing:

var soap = require('node-soap');

With:

var soap = require('soap');

Also, the Node.js community considers it best practice to not require() packages within functions, but rather outside of any functions or class definitions, such as at the top of the source file.

Let us know if that solves the issue -- cheers.

Edit (question has updated code):

This is a separate issue (your first one has been solved):

From the documentation, the client.describe() method is used to offer a "description of services, ports and methods as a JavaScript object."

The tests show usage of the .describe() method to only be legal if the assertion is made that an error does not exist. Your code currently attempts to use the describe() method when an error exists.

if (err) {
    throw err
    client.describe();
}

Your new error is Cannot set property 'descriptions' of null now because an object hasn't been provided to create definitions on, likely there is an error along the connection, try checking if your url is valid (i.e. sending back a response the soap package can work with), otherwise there isn't anything to describe().

Error using node-soap in NodeJS

3 Answers

Edit (question has updated code):