A Guide to Creating C++ Web Services

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Abstract
This whitepaper provides an introduction to creating C++ Web services and focuses on: Challenges involved in integrating C++ applications with Web services Benefits of using C++ Web services An example showing step by step how to create and implement a C++ Web service Advanced Web services features

Introduction
This paper describes how to develop and host high performance C++ Web services, including using advanced XML, SOAP, and WSDL productivity tools for transforming new and existing C++ applications for use in Service Oriented Architectures (SOA). The focus is on HydraExpress, part of the Rogue Wave Hydra Suite, which also includes the HydraSDO data components that implement the Service Data Object (SDO) specification, and HydraSCA, the first product available for deploying high-performance SOA applications based on the Service Component Architecture (SCA) specification. The SDO and SCA specifications are multi-language industry SOA specifications available in both Java and C++.

Challenges of Integrating C++ with Web Services

Over the years, many organizations have made significant investments in C++ and now need to leverage the business logic locked in these applications. However, web service technologies are focused in Java and Microsoft .NET, making it difficult to address systems created outside of these environments. Integrating C++ applications using Web services is a formidable challenge because: Web services require foundation pieces not supplied by C++ platform/libraries, including critical protocol implementations such as HTTP requests and responses. Since C++ is a compile time language it is difficult to map it with dynamic systems like Web services. C++ is a very high-performance language, but writing scalable, threaded infrastructure code can be very complicated. Often, new message bus middleware is purchased to address this challenge. Message bus products provide a C++ API and may require significant changes to the existing application. The middleware then uses costly bridges to communicate with the rest of the enterprise, thereby providing access to the C++ application. The

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use of middleware creates a tightly coupled system by tying the C++ application to only that message bus and its ability to provide compatibility with the rest of the enterprise. This is not only time consuming and error prone, but reduces flexibility compared to Web services which, once exposed from the C++ application, can be easily linked to the rest of the enterprise.

Building C++ Web Services

Using a lightweight framework such as HydraExpress provides an alternative to heavyweight middleware like CORBA. By providing an intuitive and powerful framework based on standards such as HTTP, SOAP, WSDL, and XML, development costs are reduced and it is possible to rapidly modify applications as business needs change. Developers can quickly transform a monolithic application into C++ Web Services that can natively interact with all other parts of the technology infrastructure. Code generation technology provides a customized, service-specific programmatic interface built upon a robust framework for communicating with other processes. The high-level interface generated by HydraExpress interacts with the underlying framework, which in turn handles the details of various networking, XML, and Web Services standards. This approach separates the business logic code from the underlying communication framework, ensuring long-term flexibility and compatibility. Web services fabrication products like HydraExpress support the SOA approach by making it easy to create Web services from both new and existing business processes. Once exposed through a Web service, these processes can interact with other WebsServices anywhere on the network, regardless of the technology that underlies these services. Message formats in HydraExpress are based on the SOAP protocol, a widely accepted, easy-to-use mechanism for transferring messages over a network. As shown below, to use HydraExpress, developers supply a standard Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file. HydraExpress automatically generates a skeleton service that handles the details of protocols, standards and networking to ensure interoperability. Developers then drop in new or existing C++ business logic to create a ready-to-deploy service that can be used in many types of SOA applications.

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Accelerating C++ Web Services Development

There are several advantages to using a framework to develop C++ Web services. These include: Application quality. The reliable technology of a well-established framework such as HydraExpress delivers proven scalability and performance, freeing you to focus on your business logic rather than the infrastructure of your service-oriented application. Efficient evolution. The modular design of HydraExpress enables you to quickly adapt the application as your business needs change, allowing you to modify only the areas that require adjustment. Faster time-to-market. HydraExpress improves developer productivity so you can deliver effective service-oriented applications on schedule and on budget. Cost savings. With HydraExpress, you can achieve the flexibility of service-oriented applications while leveraging your existing investments where it makes sense, drastically reducing the need to rewrite, test and optimize proven application logic. HydraExpress features: A high-performance XML parser A robust container for hosting C++ Web Services and Servlet servers Automatic generation of C++ server skeletons built to run inside the HydraExpress container Automatic generation of Web service clients from WSDL files Easy-to-use XML-to-C++ data binding utility Extensive native-code cross-platform networking foundation Pluggable transport that supports Websphere MQ and Tibco Rendezvous Seamless upgrade to HydraSCA

A Simple Step-by-Step Example

This example takes you through the process of creating a C++ Web service, a WSDL file that defines the Web service, and a SOAP-based client. The basic steps involved in creating and deploying a C++ Web service and client are as follows: 1. Install the HydraExpress software

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2. Set up the environment 3. Invoke the generator by passing it the WSDL file 4. Implement the service and client 5. Compile the service and client 6. Deploy the service 7. Run the service and client The WSDL file used in the example describes a Greeting Service that has a single operation (sayHello) which takes a string as input and returns a string as output. The WSDL file can be found in the HelloWorld tutorial that is available with the HydraExpress evaluation. Now to look at the steps in more detail: 1. Install the HydraExpress evaluation. Download the HydraExpress evaluation for Windows or Linux from http://www.roguewave.com/download-center/ and follow the setup instructions. 2. Set up the environment i. Ensure that your C++ compiler is set up in your environment and available in the PATH environment variable

ii. Set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to your JDK installation iii. On UNIX/Linux set the RWSF_HOME environment variable to the HydraExpress root directory iv. Run the script rwsfvars located in the HydraExpress root directory Further information on configuring the environment is available in Section 2.3 of the HydraExpress Users Guide which is provided with the HydraExpress evaluation. 3. Invoke the HydraExpress code generator by passing it the WSDL file i. Using a command prompt setup as described above, invoke rwsfgen passing it the name of the project to be created and the WSDL file name:

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Figure1

Alternatively you can save the project settings in an xml project file, and pass this as the sole argument to rwsfgen. A sample project file is provided with the HelloWorld tutorial.

Figure2

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4. Implement the service and client a) Implement the service Open the file HelloWorldExample\app\server\GreetingPortTypeImp.cpp. Edit the sayHello method so that it returns Hello + the string passed from the client.
std::string GreetingPortTypeImp::sayHello(rwsf::CallInfo& callInfo, const std::string& hellorequest_in) { return std::string(Hello + hellorequest_in); }

b) Implement the client Open the file HelloWorldExample\app\client\GreetingPortClient.cpp. Edit the invoke_sayHello method so that it calls the proxys sayHello method with a fixed input string of World !
void invoke_sayHello(GreetingBindingProxy& proxy) { std::string hellorequest_in(World!); std::string return_ret; rwsf::CallInfo callInfo; try { return_ret = proxy.sayHello(callInfo, hellorequest_in); std::cout << Server Response: << return_ret << std::endl; } catch(const rwsf::SoapFaultException& e) { std::cout << Fault Code: << e.getFault().getFaultcode().asString() << std::endl; std::cout << Fault String: << e.getFault().getFaultstring() << std::endl; } }

5. Compile the service and client Change to the HelloWorldExample directory and run nmake (Windows) or make (Unix/Linux) at the command prompt. This builds the HelloWorld client and service. 6. Deploy the service Run nmake deploy (Windows) or make deploy (Unix/Linux) to deploy the service.

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7. Run the service and the client a) Start the HydraExpress agent using rwsfserver start

Figure3

A new command window appears showing the helloworld service has been loaded and is running (Loading context: /helloworld/)

Figure 4

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b) Start the client GreetingPortClient from the HelloWorldExample\bin directory. The server responds.

Figure 5

More Advanced Examples

This paper provides a very simple example involving creating a C++ Web service, a WSDL file that defines the Web Service, and a SOAP-based client. The evaluation version of HydraExpress available for download (http://www.roguewave.com/downloadcenter/) contains a wide range of tutorials that cover advanced functionality such as asynchronous Web services, WSDL defined fault handling, one-way and notification message patterns, message handlers for processing SOAP messages, the use of SOAP headers, MIME attachments, and XML binding for complex types.

Advanced C++ Web Services Features

The example shown in this whitepaper is intentionally basic in terms of functionality in order to easily demonstrate the underlying concepts without adding unnecessary complexity. HydraExpress has many features that allow developers to create enterprise ready Web Services. Some of these advanced features are summarized below: Support for message patterns. HydraExpress supports the four basic message patterns defined in the WSDL specification: request-response, the pattern most often used by Web services, one-way, notification, and solicitresponse. The message patterns can be combined to create anything from applications based on well-defined models such as publish/subscribe to arbitrarily complex, choreographed SOA applications.

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Asynchronous messages. Any message pattern can be used either synchronously or asynchronously. This choice can be made at runtime by selecting either the synchronous or asynchronous service operation method. Support for sessions and other state-dependent processes. HydraExpress has built-in support for session management. In addition, the generalized support for metadata in headers can be adapted to support sessions, transactions, and other processes that depend on state. Support for XML binding. The HydraExpress code generator automatically compiles XML Schemas into C++ datatypes, whether the schema is embedded in the WSDL file, or the WSDL references an outside schema. Support for SOAP attachments. HydraExpress creates code to support MIME bindings that are defined in WSDL. Support for WSDL-defined faults. HydraExpress generates classes that encapsulate fault messages defined in the WSDL, and server code for capturing and returning fault messages to the client. An HTTPS transport. Accessible from the command line or built into the client, this transport provides for a secure client that uses HTTPS. Generated documentation. The code generator creates full, detailed documentation for all generated datatypes.

Evolution: From Web Services to SOA

Building C++ Web Services is the first and most fundamental step toward moving C++ applications toward a SOA. The next and larger challenge is to deliver SOA applications that are technologically agnostic and language independent. To forward this effort, the OASIS Open CSA finalized the first full version of the SCA specification in C++ and Java in 2007, with the support of dozens of application development tool vendors including Rogue Wave Software, IBM, BEA Systems, Sun Microsystems Inc., SAP, and Oracle. The key elements of the SCA specification offer the possibility of creating composite SOA applications using reusable SOA components in any technology: Decoupling of application logic from the details of its invoked service calls Multiple language support, including C++ and Java, as well as related programming standards such as BPEL, XLST Support for One-Way, Asynchronous, Call-Return, and Notification communications Binding services via SOAP-based Web Services, EJB, JMS, JCA, RMI, and more Data defined via Service Data Objects (SDO). The SDO API is available in both C++ and Java

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For more information, visit http://www.oasis-opencsa.org/committees.

Summary
This paper details the benefits of C++ Web Services development and takes the reader step by step through a simple example. It also highlights the challenges faced when developing Web Services in C++ generally and illustrates how developers can save considerable development time and effort, while producing code that is robust and easily maintainable. Lastly, some advanced C++ Web Services features are discussed.

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