WSDL not containing parameter details

Question

Hi 

The WSDL generated for a WCF service is not containing details about the parameters of the Operation. i.e. The name, type and number of parameters of a WCF service operation is not present in the WSDL generated. So I am not able to understand how a client application can get these details. If the client is aslo a .net application, the xsd generated in Service References folder of the client application contains details of the parameters. But if the client is not a .net application then how it will work?

Thanks in Advance,

Jose

Answer 1

Thanks Santhosh for replying.
But I am still not clear how it works.
The following is the WSDL generated for the
string GetData(int value);
WCF operation.
 
  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
- <wsdl:definitions name="Service1" targetNamespace="http://tempuri.org/" xmlns:wsdl="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/" xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/" xmlns:wsu="http://docs.oasis-open.org/wss/2004/01/oasis-200401-wss-wssecurity-utility-1.0.xsd" xmlns:soapenc="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/" xmlns:wsam="http://www.w3.org/2007/05/addressing/metadata" xmlns:tns="http://tempuri.org/" xmlns:wsa="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing" xmlns:wsp="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/09/policy" xmlns:wsap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing/policy" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:msc="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ws/2005/12/wsdl/contract" xmlns:wsaw="http://www.w3.org/2006/05/addressing/wsdl" xmlns:soap12="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap12/" xmlns:wsa10="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" xmlns:wsx="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/09/mex">
- <wsp:Policy wsu:Id="WSHttpBinding_IService1_policy">
- <wsp:ExactlyOne>
- <wsp:All>
- <sp:SymmetricBinding xmlns:sp="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy">
- <wsp:Policy>
- <sp:ProtectionToken>
- <wsp:Policy>
- <sp:SecureConversationToken sp:IncludeToken="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy/IncludeToken/AlwaysToRecipient">
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:RequireDerivedKeys />
- <sp:BootstrapPolicy>
- <wsp:Policy>
- <sp:SignedParts>
  <sp:Body />
  <sp:Header Name="To" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="From" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="FaultTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="ReplyTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="MessageID" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="RelatesTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="Action" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  </sp:SignedParts>
- <sp:EncryptedParts>
  <sp:Body />
  </sp:EncryptedParts>
- <sp:SymmetricBinding>
- <wsp:Policy>
- <sp:ProtectionToken>
- <wsp:Policy>
- <sp:SpnegoContextToken sp:IncludeToken="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy/IncludeToken/AlwaysToRecipient">
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:RequireDerivedKeys />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:SpnegoContextToken>
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:ProtectionToken>
- <sp:AlgorithmSuite>
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:Basic256 />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:AlgorithmSuite>
- <sp:Layout>
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:Strict />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:Layout>
  <sp:IncludeTimestamp />
  <sp:EncryptSignature />
  <sp:OnlySignEntireHeadersAndBody />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:SymmetricBinding>
- <sp:Wss11>
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:MustSupportRefKeyIdentifier />
  <sp:MustSupportRefIssuerSerial />
  <sp:MustSupportRefThumbprint />
  <sp:MustSupportRefEncryptedKey />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:Wss11>
- <sp:Trust10>
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:MustSupportIssuedTokens />
  <sp:RequireClientEntropy />
  <sp:RequireServerEntropy />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:Trust10>
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:BootstrapPolicy>
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:SecureConversationToken>
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:ProtectionToken>
- <sp:AlgorithmSuite>
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:Basic256 />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:AlgorithmSuite>
- <sp:Layout>
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:Strict />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:Layout>
  <sp:IncludeTimestamp />
  <sp:EncryptSignature />
  <sp:OnlySignEntireHeadersAndBody />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:SymmetricBinding>
- <sp:Wss11 xmlns:sp="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy">
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:MustSupportRefKeyIdentifier />
  <sp:MustSupportRefIssuerSerial />
  <sp:MustSupportRefThumbprint />
  <sp:MustSupportRefEncryptedKey />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:Wss11>
- <sp:Trust10 xmlns:sp="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy">
- <wsp:Policy>
  <sp:MustSupportIssuedTokens />
  <sp:RequireClientEntropy />
  <sp:RequireServerEntropy />
  </wsp:Policy>
  </sp:Trust10>
  <wsaw:UsingAddressing />
  </wsp:All>
  </wsp:ExactlyOne>
  </wsp:Policy>
- <wsp:Policy wsu:Id="WSHttpBinding_IService1_GetData_Input_policy">
- <wsp:ExactlyOne>
- <wsp:All>
- <sp:SignedParts xmlns:sp="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy">
  <sp:Body />
  <sp:Header Name="To" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="From" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="FaultTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="ReplyTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="MessageID" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="RelatesTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="Action" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  </sp:SignedParts>
- <sp:EncryptedParts xmlns:sp="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy">
  <sp:Body />
  </sp:EncryptedParts>
  </wsp:All>
  </wsp:ExactlyOne>
  </wsp:Policy>
- <wsp:Policy wsu:Id="WSHttpBinding_IService1_GetData_output_policy">
- <wsp:ExactlyOne>
- <wsp:All>
- <sp:SignedParts xmlns:sp="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy">
  <sp:Body />
  <sp:Header Name="To" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="From" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="FaultTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="ReplyTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="MessageID" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="RelatesTo" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  <sp:Header Name="Action" Namespace="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing" />
  </sp:SignedParts>
- <sp:EncryptedParts xmlns:sp="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/07/securitypolicy">
  <sp:Body />
  </sp:EncryptedParts>
  </wsp:All>
  </wsp:ExactlyOne>
  </wsp:Policy>
- <wsdl:types>
- <xsd:schema targetNamespace="http://tempuri.org/Imports">
  <xsd:import schemaLocation="http://localhost:1585/Service1.svc?xsd=xsd0" namespace="http://tempuri.org/" />
  <xsd:import schemaLocation="http://localhost:1585/Service1.svc?xsd=xsd1" namespace="http://schemas.microsoft.com/2003/10/Serialization/" />
  </xsd:schema>
  </wsdl:types>
- <wsdl:message name="IService1_GetData_InputMessage">
  <wsdl:part name="parameters" element="tns:GetData" />
  </wsdl:message>
- <wsdl:message name="IService1_GetData_OutputMessage">
  <wsdl:part name="parameters" element="tns:GetDataResponse" />
  </wsdl:message>
- <wsdl:portType name="IService1">
- <wsdl:operation name="GetData">
  <wsdl:input wsaw:Action="http://tempuri.org/IService1/GetData" message="tns:IService1_GetData_InputMessage" />
  <wsdl:output wsaw:Action="http://tempuri.org/IService1/GetDataResponse" message="tns:IService1_GetData_OutputMessage" />
  </wsdl:operation>
  </wsdl:portType>
- <wsdl:binding name="WSHttpBinding_IService1" type="tns:IService1">
  <wsp:PolicyReference URI="#WSHttpBinding_IService1_policy" />
  <soap12:binding transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http" />
- <wsdl:operation name="GetData">
  <soap12:operation soapAction="http://tempuri.org/IService1/GetData" style="document" />
- <wsdl:input>
  <wsp:PolicyReference URI="#WSHttpBinding_IService1_GetData_Input_policy" />
  <soap12:body use="literal" />
  </wsdl:input>
- <wsdl:output>
  <wsp:PolicyReference URI="#WSHttpBinding_IService1_GetData_output_policy" />
  <soap12:body use="literal" />
  </wsdl:output>
  </wsdl:operation>
  </wsdl:binding>
- <wsdl:service name="Service1">
- <wsdl:port name="WSHttpBinding_IService1" binding="tns:WSHttpBinding_IService1">
  <soap12:address location="http://localhost:1585/Service1.svc" />
- <wsa10:EndpointReference>
  <wsa10:Address>http://localhost:1585/Service1.svc</wsa10:Address>
- <Identity xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2006/02/addressingidentity">
  <Dns>localhost</Dns>
  </Identity>
  </wsa10:EndpointReference>
  </wsdl:port>
  </wsdl:service>
  </wsdl:definitions>
 
I couldnt find any information regarding the parameter 'int value' from the WSDL.
But it is there in the XSD getting generated when we add service refrence in the asp.net client application.
That is given below.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<xs:schema xmlns:tns="http://tempuri.org/" elementFormDefault="qualified" targetNamespace="http://tempuri.org/" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <xs:element name="GetData">
    <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element minOccurs="0" name="value" type="xs:int" />
      </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>
  </xs:element>
  <xs:element name="GetDataResponse">
    <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
        <xs:element minOccurs="0" name="GetDataResult" nillable="true" type="xs:string" />
      </xs:sequence>
    </xs:complexType>
  </xs:element>
</xs:schema>
Could you please help me understand how this works?

Answer 2

WSDL contains wsdl types or most commonly xml types rather than specific technology types (.net) and these can be substituted by relevant technology types from which its beinf consumed..
you can check here for more info on the types and structure of wsdl document
http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl