WCF Simplified Part 1: Getting Started with WCF 4 and Visual Studio 2010

1. Create a WCF Service Library in Visual Studio 2010 (run as Administrator),

2. Visual Studio will create a template for us that includes a ServiceContract with OperationContracts, and a DataContract with DataMembers. This is enough to get started,

[ServiceContract]
public interface IService1 {
    [OperationContract]
    string GetData(int value);

    [OperationContract]
    CompositeType GetDataUsingDataContract(CompositeType composite);
}

[DataContract]
public class CompositeType {
    bool boolValue = true;
    string stringValue = "Hello ";

    [DataMember]
    public bool BoolValue {
        get { return boolValue; }
        set { boolValue = value; }
    }

    [DataMember]
    public string StringValue {
        get { return stringValue; }
        set { stringValue = value; }
    }
}

3. We now have a WCF service library containing  our contracts – definitions on how data will be exchanged with clients. If you build the solution using F6 and look at the bin/Debug folder you’ll see WcfServiceLibrary1.dll. We will have to host this dll in a process so that we can interact with it. Visual Studio 2008 and 2010 both include a WCF Test Client, which you can see by running the solution using F5,

Now click on GetData() on the left table view, enter a number in the Value field and click the Invoke button,

If you see this, just click OK,

In the respose, you’ll see “You entered: [your number]”, this shows that your WCF service library is working correctly.

4. For more flexibility, you’ll want to write your own application to host the service dll. To do this add a new Project to the solution (a console application),

5. In the ConsoleApplication1 add a project reference to the WcfServiceLibrary1,

And also a reference to the System.ServiceModel,

6. Your solution should look like this,

7. Now change the Main method to,

static void Main(string[] args) {
    using (ServiceHost host = new ServiceHost(typeof(WcfServiceLibrary1.Service1), new Uri("http://localhost:8000/HelloWCF"))) {
        // Set up a service endpoint [Contract, Binding, Address]
        host.AddServiceEndpoint(typeof(WcfServiceLibrary1.IService1), new BasicHttpBinding(), "HelloWCF");

        // Enable metadata exchange
        ServiceMetadataBehavior smb = new ServiceMetadataBehavior() { HttpGetEnabled = true };

        host.Description.Behaviors.Add(smb);
        host.Open();

        Console.WriteLine("Ready...");
        Console.ReadLine();
    }
}

8. Now set the ConsoleApplication1 as the StartUp Projectand run using F5. We are now actually hosting the WCF

service library at two addresses,

    1. http://localhost:8732/Design_Time_Addresses/WcfServiceLibrary1/Service1/ (the default created by Visual Studio as defined in the App.config file)

    2. http://localhost:8000/HelloWCF (we created this service endpoint)

9. Let’s create a test application to interact with the WCF service, open a new instance of Visual Studio 2010, and create a console application,

10. In this new project, we need to add a service reference that points to the hosted WCF app we created in steps 1-8. So start the previous solution and browse to http://localhost:8000/HelloWCF to make sure the address is accessible, then add a service reference,

11. Now you should be able to add this code to the Main method to call the WCF service,

static void Main(string[] args) {
    // Create an endpoint
    EndpointAddress epoint = new EndpointAddress("http://localhost:8000/HelloWCF/HelloWCF");

    ServiceReference1.IService1 proxy = ChannelFactory<ServiceReference1.IService1>.CreateChannel(new BasicHttpBinding(), epoint);
    using (proxy as IDisposable) {
        // Call the WCF service using the proxy
        string str = proxy.GetData(42);
        Console.WriteLine(str);
    }
    Console.ReadLine();
}