Consume an External Web Service

in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

Applies to:
SAP_BASIS, Release 701, SP Level 8

Summary
Have you ever tried to consume an external web service out of ABAP? This document provides a detailed
description which steps have to be processed to call an external web service. It is easy to reproduce and can
be a basis for more complex developments using external web services.
Author:

Andreas Hettich

Company: SAP AG
Created on: 15 April 2011

Author Bio
Andreas is a principal architect at SAP Custom Development and mainly focused on
developments in the area of Financials.

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

Table of Contents
Consume an external web service in a nutshell ................................................................................................. 3
Assumption ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Create Consumer Proxy.................................................................................................................................. 3
Next step is to create a logical port ................................................................................................................. 6
ABAP Coding .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Related Content ................................................................................................................................................ 10
Copyright........................................................................................................................................................... 11

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

Consume an external web service in a nutshell

Goal of this instruction is to demonstrate how easy it is to consume an external web service with ABAP.
This example is based on an external web service which provides quotes for stocks. Anyway, this is just an
example and basically any web service which is described via WSDL (Web Service Description Language)
can be used.
This example will retrieve the actual quote for the SAP share. Step by step the necessary proceedings to use
an external web service are described.
Assumption
Make sure, that the proxy configuration is ok. Otherwise, you wont have a chance to connect to an external
web service. The proxy settings can be found in SM59:

Create Consumer Proxy

At first you have to generate a consumer proxy. A proxy class will be generated, which will be instantiated
later on in the report. Generation can be triggered out of SE80:

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

In the following dialogue you have to input the WSDL, in order that the proxy settings can be retrieved
automatically:

The following screenshot display the consumer proxy. For our example, the default settings are o.k.

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

Next step is to create a logical port

The logical port is necessary to call the external web service. You create the logical port with transaction
SOAMANAGER.
Within SOAMANAGER you have to go for the Single Service Administration:

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

Within SOAMANAGER you have to select the respective web service:

After applying the selection, you just push the button for creation of logical port and use the default setting.
Be sure to input the correct URL for the WSDL into the creation dialogue and write down the logical port
name. This will be used in your ABAP coding. Also make sure, that the proxy settings are entered:

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

ABAP Coding
The following sample coding consumes the external web service. It uses the created consumer proxy and
the logical port to request the quote for the symbol SAP. After successful calling, the structure out keeps the
actual values for the SAP stock.
REPORT

ZZ_GET_QUOTE.

DATA: LV_QUOTE
IN
OUT
oref
text

TYPE
TYPE
TYPE
TYPE
TYPE

REF TO CO_TEST2_QUOTESTOCK_QUOTE_SOAP,
TEST2_QUOTEGET_QUOTE_SOAP_IN,
TEST2_QUOTEGET_QUOTE_SOAP_OUT,
REF TO cx_root,
string.

*http://www.webservicex.net/stockquote.asmx?WSDL
TRY.
CREATE OBJECT LV_QUOTE
EXPORTING
LOGICAL_PORT_NAME = 'TESTPORT'.
CATCH CX_AI_SYSTEM_FAULT into oref.
text = oref->get_text( ).
ENDTRY.
IF NOT text IS INITIAL.
WRITE / text.
ENDIF.
*Fill request with to be retrieved stock symbol
in-symbol = 'SAP'.
*Get stock quote
TRY.
CALL METHOD LV_QUOTE->GET_QUOTE
EXPORTING

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

INPUT = in
IMPORTING
OUTPUT = out.
CATCH CX_AI_SYSTEM_FAULT into oref.
text = oref->get_text( ).
CATCH CX_AI_APPLICATION_FAULT into oref.
text = oref->get_text( ).
ENDTRY.
IF NOT text IS INITIAL.
WRITE / text.
ELSE.
WRITE out-get_quote_result.
ENDIF.

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

Related Content
ESR Demo
Error in Webservice Call HTTP Error
Note 1327511 - Limitations and common problems in ABAP WSDL processing
How to consume enterprise services with Ruby on Rails

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Consume an External Web Service in a Nutshell with good old ABAP

Copyright
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