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WSDL Overview

This section provides an overview of the predefined web services shipped with Content Server. Each supplied web service is defined in WSDL (web services description language) format.

WSDL is an XML format that describes distributed services on the Internet. A WSDL file describes the location of the service and the data to be passed in messages for particular operations. With regard to Content Server, these messages contain remote procedure calls.

Web services for Content Server are defined in supplied WSDL files. Each WSDL file contains descriptions of multiple operations, each of which corresponds to a Content Server delivery function. Operations are grouped by WSDL file according to related function. Like all web services, operations are accessible via XML and SOAP (simple object access protocol) messaging over the Internet.

WSDL files, which contain the information necessary to code a SOAP-compliant interface to Content Server, are intended to be read by various third-party tools that automatically output client code. The generated client code passes required infomation as remote procedure calls to Content Server via SOAP. After you pass the required inputs to the client program, the client creates and sends a SOAP request based on the specified operation. The resulting SOAP request is handled by a suppled Content Server page, which packages the request and return data.

Note

If you are not using the predefined services provided with Content Server, you must create your own WSDL file to describe your web service and Content Server page to handle data. For more information about using predefined web services and creating custom web services, refer to the dCS Developer's Guide.


Supported WSDL Version

Content Server 5.0 supports WSDL 1.1. You need to understand the web services description language to use the predefined WSDL files shipped with Content Server. The XML standard syntax is described in detail at the following W3C web site:

http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl/


Supplied WSDL Files

We supply the following WSDL files:

Supplied WSDL files group operations by related Content Server delivery functions. Identify the WSDL file that contains the Content Server functions you need. Then, generate a client interface for your intended web service application.

The following tables list related operations according to the WSDL file in which they are defined:

Asset.wsdl

Defines asset operations that can list and load asset fields or retrieve children and parents for assets and flex assets.

AssetSet.wsdl

Defines operations required to retrieve attribute values for flex assets.

Also defines the following inputs to the AssetSet operations, which are used to build a SearchState. SearchState Objects are used to generate a collection of asset properties based on specified criteria.

Miscellaneous.wsdl

Defines operations that cover basic Content Server blob functions, such as returning a blob stored in a particular table for assets and flex assets, and searching indexes generated by a search engine.

SitePlan.wsdl

Defines operations that enable you to examine the page hierarchy of the site. In conjunction with each other, they return the children and properties of any node in the hierarchy.


WSDL File Location

Predefined WSDL files for Content Server are automatically installed with the CS-Direct application in the following location:

 

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