Setting up web service methods

For each web service that you integrate with bpm’online, you can set up calling of the necessary methods. You can set up several methods per web service. You can add the request and response parameters manually or by importing from request or response example by clicking the [Quick setup] button and selecting a type of example (cURL, RAW or JSON) in the pop-up window. Also you can add request parameters from the “Method address” field

Example

According to the “http://fixer.io/” web service documentation, the latest currency exchange rates can be obtained via a simple GET method request to http(s)://data.fixer.io/api/latest endpoint. To have bpm’online obtain the currency rate information, we need to implement this method in the [Methods] detail of the [Web services] section.

Note

You can call any number of web service methods within a single process flow by using multiple [Call web service] business process elements and mapping incoming and outgoing parameters between them.

1.Open the setup page of your web service integration and add web service methods by clicking the [+] button on the [Methods] tab (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 Adding a web service method

 

2.Populate the method properties (Fig. 5):

Fig. 2 Web service method properties

Example

Complete address of the method request has the following structure: "Web service URI" + "Method address" + "?" + "A set of request parameters separated with &". For example: http://data.fixer.io/latest?base=USD&symbols=GBP.

After that, you can add the request parameters manually or by importing from examples.

Adding parameters from the “Method address” field

1.Populate the “Method address” field with the web service URL with parameters and click the  icon in field or select the [From field “Method address”] option in the [Quick setup] menu(Fig. 3):

Fig. 3 Adding parameters from the “Method address field”

 

2.In the opened parameters list, select necessary request parameters and click [Save] (Fig. 4):

Fig. 4 An example of method address parameter set

 

As a result, selected parameters will be added as request parameters. You can modify the settings of parameters (for example, select the “Required” checkbox for the “Access_key”) to adjust them for further using in the [Call web service] business process element.

Adding parameters manually

1.Add request parameters by clicking the [Add parameter] button on the [Request parameters] tab (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5 Setting up request parameters of a web service

 

The following types of request parameters are available:

2.Populate parameter values. If you have set a variable for method address (e.g. {endpoint}), a corresponding method address parameter must be added (Fig. 6).

Fig. 6 Method address parameter settings

 

Note

The system settings used in method parameters will be bound to the web service package. This will simplify the transfer of the web service to another system.

Note

If your request parameter is an array, select the “Body parameter” in the [Parameter type] field and “Object” in the data type field. After this, nested parameters will become available. Read more >>>

3.Add the “Base currency” request parameter of the “Query parameter” type for passing the base currency and populate its values (Fig. 7).

Example

By default, the web service will return the exchange rates in relation to Euro. According to the web service description, you can obtain rates in relation to a specific base currency by passing this currency in the “base” parameter of your request.

Fig. 7 “Base currency” query parameter settings

 

Use parameters of different types in the “Parameter type” field to generate web service requests according to the web service documentation. In this case, we set up a single “Query parameter” for passing base currency. Also, we specify the “USD” as the default value of the parameter in the “Default value” field. The value can be set as constant or selected from the system setting. If the field is populated, the “Required” checkbox is automatically cleared and non-editable.

4.Add the “API key” request parameter of the “Query parameter” type for passing your personal access key and specify tis parameter as required by selecting the “Required” checkbox (Fig. 8).

Note

You will need to register on https://fixer.io/ to obtain your API key.

Fig. 8 “API key” query parameter settings

 

As a result, bpm’online will be able to call methods of this web service using the following request template:

http://data.fixer.io/api/{endpoint}?access_key={your access key}&base={base currency}

The full URL address with parameters is generated in the “Complete address” field according to the added request parameters (Fig. 9).

Fig. 9 Complete address of the web service

 

The values in curly brackets ({endpoint} and {base currency}) will be specified in the [Call web service] business process element, for instance:

http://data.fixer.io/api/latest?access_key=00000000000000000000000000000000&base=USD

Note

When creating a new web service you can enter a URL with parameters to the mini page and they will be automatically added as request parameters to the created web service.

Next

•Setting up the parsing of the web service response parameters