FleXtense WSDL to ActionScript Proxy Generator for Adobe FlexBuilder

Documentation

1 Overview

1.1 What is FleXtense?

FleXtense is an application for Flex developers to use web services easily by generating ActionScript communication classes for web services automatically. It provides to compose rapid and safe codes with its supporting data types and easy to use interface. FleXtense is a platform independent application because it has taken wsdl schema standart which are based from World Wide Web Consortium (w3c.org). You can use Flextense with Java, .Net, pHp, Ruby etc. Just add as a reference for the wsdl document of web service you created to the application. FleXtense produces all the remainder code automatically.

1.2 Main features

Automatically generate codes for calling web service methods.
Supporting use of strongly typed objects.
Supporting use of .NET DataSet object.
Easy to use web based interface.

1.3 What is new in FleXtense 2.0

Support for .Net DataSet within Flex (sending to and receiving from web services)
Directly binding Collection Classes to Data Controls
toXML and toJSON support for Collection and Entity Classes
Credential settings for the access of WSDL files

1.4 Architecture

Web Service Class

FleXtense creates an ActionScript class with the same name for each defined web service in the wsdl document. You can reach the methods in the web service with this created class. For instance; You have a web service called UserService. FleXtense creates an ActionScript class named UserService. var service:UserService = new UserService(); Now you can call the methods in the web service with this object. eg. service.getUser.send();

Web Service Method Classes

FleXtense creates a class for each web service method in the wsdl document. Public methods in this automatically created class are: send: Used to call web service method. The parameters the web service method takes are set to the method class before calling send method. # addResponder: The definiton of the function which will catch the response from web service method call asynchronous. addFaulter:The definition of the function which will catch the soap error from the web service method call asynchronous.

Result Event Class

For each method in the web service, FleXtense creates a ResultEventClass which contains the return value of this method. With this class you can catch the responses returning from the web service method. Its result property is the same as the return value of the web service method. Example: Assume there is a method defined with “GetUser” in the web service and that has a User type as return value. The return value of the result property of GetUserResultEvent class is also User type generated automatically by FleXtense.

Enums Class

Generates an ActionScript class for each enum definition in the web service.

Collection Class

Generates ActionScript collection classes for the web service's custom entity classes that are defined as array type. For instance: FleXtense creates a UserCollection class which gets User type values if a User type array returns from the web service method.

Entity Class

Creates an ActionScript class for each custom class defined in the web service.

Base Data Type Array

FleXtense supports basic data types in form of arrays defined in the web service. For instance; If there is a string type array in the User class, FleXtense adds an string typed array with the same name to the User class it creates.

2. Using FleXtense code generator

2.1 Overview

FleXtense 2.0 is a web based Flex application and it is created using FleXtense 2.0. It is the tool that generates your generated ActionScipt files based on the WSDL you provided. You can launch the application from here.

2.2 Entering WSDL Content

In this section you provide the WSDL content of your web service to be analyzed. You can copy and paste the WSDL and click next to continue.

2.2 Entering the schema content

If your WSDL has imported schema files, you should also provide these schema content here.

2.3 Defining WSDL Criteria

Package: Enter the desired package name for your generated ActionScript files. Wsdl Uri: Enter the WSDL URI of your web service application that is used to connect your web service. You can also change this web service URI later by editing the wsdl property in YourWebServiceNameService.as file.

2.4 Generating codes

After entering all the needed information, click the Finish button to start generating your ActionScript files.

2.5 Download generated files

After the process is completed, a download link will appear. You can download your generated ActionScript files in zip format by clicking this button.