SOAP Service Component

The Soap Service component allows communication with external SOAP services (web service). Examples of these services are consulting external databases, requesting external verification or authentication and referring to external content sources. The external SOAP service can require input parameter values and can output values of its own. The output values returned from these external services are placed in the memory and can be used in the next step in the journey..

As an exercise, a very simple journey using W3School's tempconvert.asmx SOAP service( http://www.w3schools.com/webservices/tempconvert.asmx). This SOAP service has 2 methods: to convert Celcius to Fahrenheit and vice versa. We will use the 'FahrenheitToCelsius' method. The journey's first page is a simple form where you can enter a temperature in Fahrenheit.
This submitted value @FAHR is used as a value for the SOAP service Input  parameter 'Fahrenheit'.
The service returns the result of its calculation as 'FahrenheitToCelsiusResult'. We use it as an Output value @CELSIUS to display the outcome on the second journey page (~@CELSIUS~ in the Editor)









 

Events

The Soap Service component triggers two types of events:

  • OnSuccess: when the operation is successful the next component in the journey is activated
  • OnFailed: when the operation is not successful the next component in the journey is activated

Properties

General

1. Enter a name and description for this component. This information is displayed on the canvas.

2. Enter the location and name of the WSDL file. Use the [..] button next to the field to browse the location of the file. (A WSDL file contains the description if the webservice.)

3. Press 'Load'. Loading the WSDL allows retrieving information from this file which is used further on).

4. The 'Operation' field now displays a list of possible operations (methods) that can be performed on the selected service. Select one. (Example Copy, Update, GetMaster, etc.)

5. Enter the name of the server where the service is situated.

6. In the 'Authentication' section a choice can be made:

  • a login and password for basic authentication
  • a client certificate. In this case the client certificates need to be installed.

 

Input parameters

Selligent detects the parameters to be passed on to the service. All found parameters are displayed here. Just enter the values to be passed for each of these input parameters. These values can either be string or numeric values, values retrieved from the audience list or its extended profiles, system variables or values retrieved in a form.

  • posted values from a form. E.g. @FIRSTNAME
  • List values
  • Numeric and string values. For string values use single quotes e.g. 'Spring 20'
  • System variables. E.g. SYSTEM.CAMPAIGNID
  • Functions. E.g. GETDATE() to retrieve the current date
  • Combined. E.g. IF(@VALUE=1,1,OPTIN). If a posted value equals 1, pass 1, otherwise take the value of the OPTIN field.

 

Output parameters

The list of output parameters is automatically detected when the WSDL is loaded. Enter the values that must be assigned to these output parameters.

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