Methods to run an ABL internal procedure and user-defined function of a persistent procedure (ProcObject) are indistinguishable in client code. These methods:

  • Run only in the context of a defining ProcObject
  • Require a ProcObject ID in the SOAP request header, which is the object ID of the defining ProcObject

This is the ABL prototype for the sample user-defined function, GetTotalOrdersByNumber( ):

ABL prototype for a user-defined function

/* CustomerOrder.p */

FUNCTION GetTotalOrdersByNumber RETURNS INTEGER
   (Threshold AS DECIMAL):

This is a VB.NET declaration for the ABL user-defined function method, GetTotalOrdersByNumber( ):

Public Function GetTotalOrdersByNumber
                   (ByVal Threshold As Decimal) As Integer

The following is a sample method call for the user-defined function method, GetTotalOrdersByNumber, which is an interface method on the sample ProcObject, CustomerOrder:

totNumber = custOrder.GetTotalOrdersByNumber(2150.99)

Note that user-defined function methods return a value whose data type maps to the ABL data type of the user-defined function's return value.

This is a sample Doc/Lit SOAP request that might be generated from invoking the GetTotalOrdersByNumber( ) method to execute the ABL user-defined function, passing in a Threshold order value of 2150.99: 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<soap:Envelope namespaces defined here...>
  <soap:Header>
    <CustomerOrderID xmlns="urn:OrderSvc:CustomerOrder">
         <UUID>2e62cab6b81150d5:167f64e:f295e997b0:-8000;
               <OrderInfo|PX-000002|PO>;G1Vc/vmohvLnwxQQXwA6Cg==</UUID>
    </CustomerOrderID>
  </soap:Header>
  <soap:Body>
    <GetTotalOrdersByNumber xmlns="OrderSvc:CustomerOrder">
      <Threshold>2150.99</Threshold>
    </GetTotalOrdersByNumber>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

Note the object ID for the ProcObject, CustomerOrder, sent to make the request on a method of the ProcObject.

This is the SOAP response returning a function value of 5, which is the total number of orders that satisfy the specified order Threshold value:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<soap:Envelope namespaces defined here...>
  <soap:Body>
    <GetTotalOrdersByNumberResponse xmlns="urn:OrderSvc:CustomerOrder">
      <result>5</result>
    </GetTotalOrdersByNumberResponse>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>