This method allows you to create a client application environment and functionality exactly as you expect real Web service clients to be created, and you can test the application end-to-end using a complete Web service testing infrastructure.

The rapid prototyping capability of ABL can also make it a convenient platform to test the application service as a Web service, depending on the requirements of the Web service. Some client platforms might handle certain types of Web service interaction more easily than others. However, especially where ABL most easily handles a particular Web service application feature, modifying an existing ABL unit test bed to access the AppServer as a Web service is a natural next step in testing Web service functionality.

Otherwise, especially if you expect your primary client base to use another platform, you might want to test on that platform to fully understand what users of that platform need to do in order to use the Web service that you plan to deploy.

To test from a Web services client:

  1. Configure the AppServer to support the required application session model:
    • For information on configuring the session-managed operating modes, see OpenEdge Application Server: Developing AppServer Applications and the OpenEdge Management and OpenEdge Explorer online help.
    • For information on configuring the state-free operating mode (session-free model) see the OpenEdge Management or OpenEdge Explorer online help.
  2. Define the Web service and generate the Web service mapping (WSM) file using ProxyGen. For more information, see Learn About Open Clients.
  3. Generate a test WSDL file from ProxyGen when you generate the WSM file, or deploy the WSM file to a WSA instance to obtain a deployed WSDL file. For more information on deploying a Web service, see the sections on deploying and managing Web services in OpenEdge Application Server: Administration.
  4. Write the test client application, using the WSDL file to help generate client interfaces or to manually write the code to invoke Web service requests. For more information, see Creating OpenEdge SOAP Web services. For information on building an ABL client to access your Web service, see Creating ABL clients to consume SOAP Web services.
  5. Once you have an executable test client, ensure that the AppServer and WSA are running, and the WSA instance where you deployed the Web service is enabled to allow client access to the Web service. For more information on running and enabling the WSA for Web service client access, see the sections on working with the WSA and deploying Web services in OpenEdge Application Server: Administration.
  6. Begin testing the client.