How to Create a Web Service using PHP

PHP, Tips & Tricks


Every application developer needs the ability to develop the services for wide range of platforms. We have SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) to create such a service and interact with the software with ease. So in this tutorial I will explain you how you can create a web service using PHP library nusoap.

nusoap library : It’s very easy to create SOAP service. Download the nusoap library from http://sourceforge.net/projects/nusoap/. You need a server for respond to the client after necessary function.

Create a file server.php and copy following code into the file. Now we have two function registered HelloWorld and AddValues.

ini_set('error_reporting', E_STRICT);
require_once("nusoap/lib/nusoap.php");
$namespace = "www.demos.tricksofit.com";

// create a new soap server
$server = new soap_server();

$server->soap_defencoding = 'utf-8';
$server->decode_utf8 = false;

// configure our WSDL
$server->configureWSDL("TestWsdl");

// set our namespace
$server->wsdl->schemaTargetNamespace = $namespace;

//Register a method that has parameters and return types
$server->register(
	// method name:
	'HelloWorld',
	// parameter list:
	array('name'=>'xsd:string'),
	// return value(s):
	array('return'=>'xsd:string'),
	// namespace:
	$namespace,
	// soapaction: (use default)
	false,
	// style: rpc or document
	'rpc',
	// use: encoded or literal
	'encoded',
	// description: documentation for the method
	'Simple Hello World Method'
);

//Register a method that has parameters and return types
$server->register(
	// method name:
	'AddValues',
	// parameter list:
	array('a'=>'xsd:int','b'=>'xsd:int'),
	// return value(s):
	array('return'=>'xsd:int'),
	// namespace:
	$namespace,
	// soapaction: (use default)
	false,
	// style: rpc or document
	'rpc',
	// use: encoded or literal
	'encoded',
	// description: documentation for the method
	'Simple add method'
);

//first function implementation
function HelloWorld($name) {
    return 'Howdy, '.$name.'!';
}

function AddValues($a, $b) {
    return $a+$b;
}

$POST_DATA = isset($GLOBALS['HTTP_RAW_POST_DATA']) ? $GLOBALS['HTTP_RAW_POST_DATA'] : '';

// pass our posted data (or nothing) to the soap service
$server->service($POST_DATA);
exit();

You can see XML structure of your soap server using server.php?wsdl

Now you need to create client service to call HelloWorld and AddValues method using soap. So create a file client.php and put following code and save.

<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Title</title>
<meta charset="utf-8"/>
</head>
<body>
<?php     require_once("nusoap/lib/nusoap.php");     $client = new nusoap_client('path to /server.php?wsdl');     $client->soap_defencoding = 'UTF-8';
    $client->decode_utf8 = false;

    $err = $client->getError();
    if ($err) {
        echo '
<h2>Constructor error</h2>
<pre>' . $err . '</pre>

';
        die();
    }

    $parameters = array('name' => "dear");
    $result = $client->call('HelloWorld', $parameters);

    //$parameters = array('a' => "2", 'b' => "3");
    //$result = $client->call('AddValues', $parameters);

    if ($client->fault) {
        echo '
<h2>Fault</h2>
<pre>';
        print_r($result);
        echo '</pre>

';
        die();
    }
    else
    {
        echo $result;
    }
?>
</body>
</html>

Now when you run the client with following code:

$parameters = array('name' => "dear");
$result = $client->call('HelloWorld', $parameters);

You will get Howdy, dear! as result.

When you use following code:

$parameters = array('a' => "2",'b' => "3");
$result = $client->call('AddValues', $parameters);

you will get 5 as a result.

Hope this tutorial will help you to create a web service using nusoap library.

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