Microsoft Dynamics NAV Team Blog

Great article demonstrating a minimal framework for exposing NAV business logic. Seems a little more elegant than MSMQ & easier to deploy.

I got this to work on NAV50, but when I try it on NAV50SP1 I receive this error: "The server threw an exception. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80010105 (RPC_E_SERVERFAULT))". This error is reported by the Console App when any method is called on Customer_Service.

It seems to me to be related to Stream/IStream/NAV InStream/NAV OutStream compatibilty or something. Is the InStream/OutStream different in NAV50SP1?

Thanks for any help,

Jakob Madsen

I can't get it to work on 5.0SP1 either but 5.0 works.

Ikke-afviklet undtagelse: System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHeadeHeaderException: Serveren kunne ikke behandle anmodningen på grund af en intern fejl. (the server could not execute the request because of an internal error).

  ved System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapCli

entMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCa

ll)

  ved System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.Invoke(String method

Name, Object[] parameters)

  ved ConsoleTestApp.localhost.Customer_Service.Read() i C:\Users\kfc\Desktop\S

ample - WebServicesinNAV5\ConsoleTestApp\Web References\localhost\Reference.cs:l

inje 113

  ved ConsoleTestApp.Program.PrintAllCustomers() i C:\Users\kfc\Desktop\Sample

- WebServicesinNAV5\ConsoleTestApp\Program.cs:linje 21

  ved ConsoleTestApp.Program.Main(String[] args) i C:\Users\kfc\Desktop\Sample

- WebServicesinNAV5\ConsoleTestApp\Program.cs:linje 12

cool.

When I import the dataport, i get the error

"There is a syntax error in the import on line 33 in position 2 : REQUESTPAGE.

A'}'(ListEnd) is expected here.

To make it work with all Nav versions, you have to change 2 lines in Stream.Write method:

line:

Marshal.WriteInt64(pcbWritten, (long)cb);

change to:

Marshal.WriteInt32(pcbWritten, cb);

and line:

Marshal.WriteInt64(pcbWritten, (long)0);

change to:

Marshal.WriteInt32(pcbWritten, 0);

I just tried this on another computer with Windows Server 2003 and Dynamics NAV 5.0SP1.

The compuiter has .net 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5. I registered the dll like so:

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727>RegAsm.exe c:\NAVWebServiceDemo\bin\Debug\NAVWebServiceDemo.dll /tlb:c:\navwebservicedemo\bin\debug\NAVWebServiceDemo.tlb

Yet, when I try to start the codeunit I get this error:

It was not possible to create an instance of the OLE-object... etc.

However, I can compile the codeunit with no problem.

I noticed that the Input and Output functions is of type IUNKNOWN inside NAV.

Any ideas?

Kris:

I'm afraid it doesn't give a lot of helpful information.

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727>regasm c:\_Shared\NAVWebService\NA

VWebServiceDemo\bin\Debug\NAVWebServiceDemo.dll /tlb c:\_Shared\NAVWebService\NAVWebServiceDemo\bin\Debug\NAVWebServiceDemo.tlb /verbose

Microsoft (R) .NET Framework Assembly Registration Utility 2.0.50727.1433

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1998-2004.  All rights reserved.

Types registered successfully

Type 'N' exported.

Type 'N' exported.

Type 'N' exported.

Assembly exported to 'c:\_Shared\NAVWebService\NAVWebServiceDemo\bin\Debug\NAVWebServiceDemo.tlb', and the type library was registered successfully

Hi, i'm not so familar with Visual Studio, so please tell me step by step how to compile the VS Files and register it for use with NAV. I have installed Visual C# Express 2008 and MS .NET Framework SDK 2.0 on my PC. Thank in advance for your help. Best regards Marcel

Has anybody tested it on 4.0.3 ?

How can I have the client on a different machine (instead of localhost) and still have this working?

We have to build another layer to comunicate with the outside, right? And then we'll need IIS...

Or am I wrong?

AG.

I did test on some version of 4.x at point in time, not sure what version exactly.  You should try, most likely it will work.

salman:

You will have to add new method to the COM object that allows for stopping.  Then call this method from within NAV, if you need to call it from outside NAV, you could expose that as a Web Service through the same infrastructure :-)

Bruno Pereira:

I have not tested but this should work already from different box.  

You need to use the actual computer name of the PC that is running the web service in steed of the localhost, in your consumer.  

Make sure your firewalls are not stopping the traffic.

There is no need for IIS.

vlieffroy

I think that we see differently on this issue.  

First I don’t consider the GUI, business logic, but a way to access it.  And as such it has been coded to fit a special actor, flesh and blood user.  I look at Web Services as just another way for accessing this business logic, and it too needs to be coded to fit the actors that should use it, those actors are usually other computer systems.

I don’t have that as a goal to replace GUI with web services but just to compliment the application in this case NAV with access to the data and processes for other systems.

As for the rest of the questions,  this sample does not address that directly, this is more of a plumbing for building your own answer to those questions.  Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 will however provide some application level implementation that answers those questions.   I will write more about that later.

Thanks

Kris Rafnsson

Sorry for the late reply.

Nobody wants to wait for Dynamics NAV 2009 longer than absolutely needed.  I´m pulling my share of the load :-)

Thanks for constructive debate vlieffroy@lecxp.com,  it is much appreciated.

There are many schools of SOA.  I’m not sure if I have been to any of them yet, so I’m not going to list out answer to your question in SOA terms.

My understanding of your question is that it is more philosophical, than I feel that my little code sample merits.

Therefore I’m going to abstract, away from the sample, that is mostly focused on the nitty-gritty details of getting messages in and out of Dynamics NAV, into something completely different.

Applications like Dynamics NAV have a legacy, which does not fit the idealistic world of modeling software as processes.  Don’t get me wrong, Dynamics NAV is fully capable to manage the order to cash process that you where referring to, and some of us it think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it has legacy.  With legacy come a lot of good things.  Such as proven approach, stable codebase and lot of features.

Dynamics NAV is architecturally centered around:  Forms (for data entry), Tables (for data storage) and Report (for aggregation and printing of the data), at least from abstraction point of view.  This makes the application task oriented, from the perspective of user that is now going to type in the orders that have just arrived, or print out the invoices needed to be sent out.  

This architecture is based on even more legacy system that probably dates back hundreds of years.  And therefore more proven, is more stable and has more features.  That is the document/form in triplets (or more).   One could think that the IRS or US immigration had invented the concept just by the share volume of forms they use, but it is not so, they us it simply to the reason of: more proven, stable codebase and lot of features.  

The funny thing with form in triplet is that at its heart it is message oriented structure.  Depends on the business the copies go to different departments.  Those where processed differently for different departments.

Web services are also message oriented.  This leaves us with message oriented forms, which is the architectural construct of Dynamics NAV and web services that both are message oriented.

So far we have established that Dynamics NAV is capable of running the order to cash process (I stated that), it works in task oriented way where forms have center stage and forms are message oriented.  

How can we make this help us running the order to cash process through web services?

If we examine this process, it at first appearance looks concrete, there are however as many processes as there are deals made in the world.  Only by very abstract approximation you can claim that there is one process.  There are however general touch points in the process where interaction between customer and vendor frequently happen.  

If we limit us to very general incarnation of the order to cash process those touch points include but are not limited to: The order, the order confirmation, the shipment notice, the invoice, the delivery and the payment.

I will try to list the general steps on how you could fulfill those steps from Dynamics NAV perspective in this very limited process:

The order

The order is sent through a web service request.  It is filled into the system; a sales person looks at the order and approves it by processing it.

The system sends order confirmation to the customer with expected delivery dates, as well as notifying the warehouse of the order.  

Warehouse pushes the ship button when the goods leave the building sending a shipping notice to the buyer and message to the invoicing department.  

Invoice department sends invoice to buyer.

Product is delivered.

Buyer pays at bank.

Invoice department consolidates with the bank.

Standard Dynamics NAV has many of those features already build in.  The rest is easy to get partners to add, with the help of the code I have added in this blog.  

I hope this helps you understand how Web Services can help businesses in the future.  If not please be more specific, and I might be able to answer :-)

Thanks

Kris

@ Kris Rafnsson.

Thanks for the answer. We are quite agree on the purpose and the benefits Web Services could help businesses.

And this is a short-term journey (hopefully).

The SOA way on the other hand is long term journey i think (definition and re-definition of business processes by business analysts, without coding anymore etc..).

Regards,

Vincent Lieffroy

Hi!

Back again on the same day as previous post. I finally got the xmlport and codeunit to run. But how do I do to register the webservice 'localhost' to the console application? The article says I don't need to use the IIS but how does this work??

/Kjell H

I've tried to use this code from both VS 2005 and VS 2008 but I really can't find any WCF service in the code. Am I missing something or should this be something I have to create to get this to work?

/Kjell H

Hi, thanks for your sample code.

I tried it in Nav 5.0 SP1. That strange thing is that when I try to read Input instream with ReadText(buffer, n). Only the first character can be read. For example, if the input stream is "Hello", only "H" can be read. If I set ReadText(Input, 2). The Nav shows read error. Also I can not read by Read.

Does anybody have any idea? Thanks

hi, I can not find that Automation that you are using? what is it called? and is it something that is in the windows server (+ .NET 3) ??

thx in advance..

mahir:

The automation is called: NAVWebServiceDemo'.WebServiceListner

You will need to build the project with Visual Studio before it will show up in your list.  

After the build it should be avalable on Windows server as well as XP and Vista

Kris Rafnsson:

Can you please brief me how can I use Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0  to call NAV5.0 CodeUnits object? Can you suggest me code example or any blog or even any helping URL for the same? Thanks a lot in advance

Hi Kris,

Thanks for your reply and the approach you have suggested.

Let me walk though what you have suggested, You want to say first I need to create web user interface using WSS3.0 and  bind  the web service that I have created using Visual Studio  to WSS3.0, which will call NAV5.0, Is that you mean to say?  Simply you mean to say is  I will have to create web service to call WSS which will call  NAV functionality from WSS user interface. But Kris this WSS site will be hosted on IIS then what? Although the simple web service built by using visual studio could be standalone no doubt about it! Still it is not going to solve this issue?

What I have done right now I have created one CodeUnit object with XMLport and deployed it into NAV application and trying to call this codeunit object for the web service that I have built in Visual Studio. But the problem is my NAV server is not responding to the MSMQ. I guess it might because authentication functionality provided to server or please let  me know if you may have experience the same?  

Code Unit code:

OBJECT Codeunit 50002 RunNavisionProcess

{

 OBJECT-PROPERTIES

 {

    Date=22.03.08;

   Time=17:03:44;

   Modified=Yes;

   Version List=;

 }

 PROPERTIES

 {

   SingleInstance=Yes;

   OnRun=BEGIN

           IF ISCLEAR(ComCom) THEN

             IF NOT CREATE(ComCom) THEN

               ERROR(Text001);

           IF ISCLEAR(MSMQ_BA) THEN

             IF NOT CREATE(MSMQ_BA) THEN

               ERROR(Text001);

           ComCom.AddBusAdapter(MSMQ_BA,1);

           MSMQ_BA.OpenReceiveQueue('.\private$\' + COMPANYNAME + ' 1',0,0);

           MSMQ_BA.OpenReplyQueue('.\private$\' + COMPANYNAME + ' 2',0,0);

         END;

 }

 CODE

 {

   VAR

     ComCom@1450001 : Automation "{F9A57667-8AC5-45C5-9416-99D3955BCAC0} 1.0:{01018FA5-E4B4-413C-A47C-AD34B0CC2647}:'Navision Communication Component version 2'.CommunicationComponent" WITHEVENTS;

     MSMQ_BA@1450000 : Automation "{B8BD635A-E191-47EF-84A0-02921E2A44A6} 1.0:{CD49794B-0E84-4A2E-9522-C518C825D390}:'Navision MS-Message Queue Bus Adapter'.MSMQBusAdapter";

     Text001@1450003 : TextConst 'ENU=Cannot create communication components.';

     Text002@1450002 : TextConst 'ENU=Document No. cannot be found';

     Text003@1450004 : TextConst 'ENU=Document Type is missing in ParameterList';

     Text004@1450005 : TextConst 'ENU=Company does not exist';

     Text005@1450006 : TextConst 'ENU=Item No. cannot be found';

     Text006@1450007 : TextConst 'ENU=Completed';

     Text007@1450008 : TextConst 'ENU=Customer No. cannot be found';

     Text008@1450009 : TextConst 'ENU=Customer has been blocked in Navision';

   LOCAL PROCEDURE ReturnOriginalMessage@1240002(OutMsg@1450002 : Automation "{F9A57667-8AC5-45C5-9416-99D3955BCAC0} 1.0:{6CB9762C-E61C-4F96-BA34-8B20D3A5B46E}:'Navision Communication Component version 2'.OutMessage";XMLDoc@1450000 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{F6D90F11-9C73-11D3-B32E-00C04F990BB4}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.DOMDocument");

   VAR

     OutStreamQueue@1450001 : OutStream;

   BEGIN

     OutStreamQueue := OutMsg.GetStream();

     XMLDoc.save(OutStreamQueue);

     OutMsg.Send(0);

     CLEAR(OutMsg);

   END;

   LOCAL PROCEDURE SendItem@1450000(ItemNo@1450000 : Code[20];OutMsg@1450006 : Automation "{F9A57667-8AC5-45C5-9416-99D3955BCAC0} 1.0:{6CB9762C-E61C-4F96-BA34-8B20D3A5B46E}:'Navision Communication Component version 2'.OutMessage");

   VAR

     Item@1450003 : Record 27;

     ItemXMLPort@1450002 : XMLport 8002;

     OutStreamQueue@1450004 : OutStream;

     XMLDoc@1450001 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{F6D90F11-9C73-11D3-B32E-00C04F990BB4}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.DOMDocument";

   BEGIN

     OutStreamQueue := OutMsg.GetStream();

     Item.SETRANGE("No.",ItemNo);

     ItemXMLPort.SETTABLEVIEW(Item);

     ItemXMLPort.SETDESTINATION(OutStreamQueue);

     ItemXMLPort.EXPORT;

     CREATE(XMLDoc);

     XMLDoc.save(OutStreamQueue);

     OutMsg.Send(0);

     CLEAR(OutMsg);

   END;

   PROCEDURE PopulateResult@1450001(XMLDoc@1450000 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{F6D90F11-9C73-11D3-B32E-00C04F990BB4}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.DOMDocument";Result@1450001 : Text[250]);

   VAR

     XMLNode@1450003 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{2933BF80-7B36-11D2-B20E-00C04F983E60}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.IXMLDOMNode";

     XMLDOMMgmt@1450002 : Codeunit 99008516;

   BEGIN

     IF XMLDOMMgmt.FindNode(XMLDoc,'/NavisionObject/Result',XMLNode) THEN

       XMLNode.text := Result;

   END;

   LOCAL PROCEDURE SendCustomer@1450002(CustomerNo@1450000 : Code[20];OutMsg@1450006 : Automation "{F9A57667-8AC5-45C5-9416-99D3955BCAC0} 1.0:{6CB9762C-E61C-4F96-BA34-8B20D3A5B46E}:'Navision Communication Component version 2'.OutMessage");

   VAR

     Customer@1450003 : Record 18;

     CustomerXMLPort@1450002 : XMLport 50002;

     OutStreamQueue@1450004 : OutStream;

     XMLDoc@1450001 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{F6D90F11-9C73-11D3-B32E-00C04F990BB4}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.DOMDocument";

   BEGIN

     OutStreamQueue := OutMsg.GetStream();

     Customer.SETRANGE("No.",CustomerNo);

     CustomerXMLPort.SETTABLEVIEW(Customer);

     CustomerXMLPort.SETDESTINATION(OutStreamQueue);

     CustomerXMLPort.EXPORT;

     CREATE(XMLDoc);

     XMLDoc.save(OutStreamQueue);

     OutMsg.Send(0);

     CLEAR(OutMsg);

   END;

   LOCAL PROCEDURE FindNode@3(RootNode@1020 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{2933BF80-7B36-11D2-B20E-00C04F983E60}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.IXMLDOMNode";NodePath@1000 : Text[250];VAR ReturnedNode@2030 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{2933BF80-7B36-11D2-B20E-00C04F983E60}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.IXMLDOMNode") : Boolean;

   BEGIN

     ReturnedNode := RootNode.selectSingleNode(NodePath);

     IF ISCLEAR(ReturnedNode) THEN

       EXIT(FALSE)

     ELSE

       EXIT(TRUE);

   END;

   EVENT ComCom@1450001::MessageReceived@1(VAR InMessage@1450000 : Automation ":{00020400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}:''.IDISPATCH");

   VAR

     Item@1450012 : Record 27;

     SalesHeader@1450010 : Record 36;

     InMsg@1450003 : Automation "{F9A57667-8AC5-45C5-9416-99D3955BCAC0} 1.0:{D184D0AC-61C9-4AC1-B537-0D28C277FEDE}:'Navision Communication Component version 2'.InMessage";

     XMLDoc@1450006 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{F6D90F11-9C73-11D3-B32E-00C04F990BB4}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.DOMDocument";

     XMLNode@1450005 : Automation "{F5078F18-C551-11D3-89B9-0000F81FE221} 3.0:{2933BF80-7B36-11D2-B20E-00C04F983E60}:'Microsoft XML, v3.0'.IXMLDOMNode";

     InStreamQueue@1450002 : InStream;

     XMLChar@1450007 : Text[1];

     XMLText@1450004 : Text[1024];

     UserName@1450014 : Text[1024];

     CompanyName@1450013 : Text[1024];

     FunctionName@1450008 : Text[1024];

     ParameterList@1450009 : Text[1024];

     DocumentType@1450011 : Option;

     Company@1450016 : Record 2000000006;

     Customer@1450017 : Record 18;

   BEGIN

     InMsg := InMessage;

     InStreamQueue := InMsg.GetStream();

     REPEAT

       InStreamQueue.READTEXT(XMLChar);

       XMLText := XMLText + XMLChar;

     UNTIL InStreamQueue.EOS;

     CREATE(XMLDoc);

     XMLDoc.loadXML(XMLText);

     IF FindNode(XMLDoc,'/NavisionObject/UserName',XMLNode) THEN

       UserName := XMLNode.text;

     IF FindNode(XMLDoc,'/NavisionObject/CompanyName',XMLNode) THEN

       CompanyName := XMLNode.text;

     IF FindNode(XMLDoc,'/NavisionObject/FunctionName',XMLNode) THEN

       FunctionName := XMLNode.text;

     IF FindNode(XMLDoc,'/NavisionObject/ParameterList',XMLNode) THEN

       ParameterList := XMLNode.text;

     CASE FunctionName OF

       'GetCustomer':

         BEGIN

           IF Customer.GET(SELECTSTR(1,ParameterList)) THEN

             SendCustomer(Customer."No.",InMsg.CreateReply)

           ELSE BEGIN

             PopulateResult(XMLDoc,Text007);

             ReturnOriginalMessage(InMsg.CreateReply,XMLDoc);

           END;

         END;

       'BlockCustomer':

         BEGIN

           IF Customer.GET(SELECTSTR(1,ParameterList)) THEN BEGIN

             Customer.VALIDATE(Blocked,Customer.Blocked::All);

             IF Customer.MODIFY(TRUE) THEN BEGIN

               PopulateResult(XMLDoc,Text008);

               ReturnOriginalMessage(InMsg.CreateReply,XMLDoc);

             END;

           END ELSE BEGIN

             PopulateResult(XMLDoc,Text007);

             ReturnOriginalMessage(InMsg.CreateReply,XMLDoc);

           END;

         END;

     END;

     InMsg.CommitMessage;

     CLEAR(InMsg);

   END;

   BEGIN

   END.

 }

}

URL to download code example

http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/nishikantmadghe

I am not able to connect with below url just tell me what i have to do to solve this problem.

Url = "http://localhost:8000/nav/customer"

i am getting error:-

"The server was unable to process the request due to an internal error.  For more information about the error, either turn on IncludeExceptionDetailInFaults (either from ServiceBehaviorAttribute or from the <serviceDebug> configuration behavior) on the server in order to send the exception information back to the client, or turn on tracing as per the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 SDK documentation and inspect the server trace logs."

hi Kris:

How do I do to register the web service 'localhost' to the console application? The article says I don't need to use the IIS but how does this work??

When I am debugging the sample code i am getting an exception at service.Read() the exception is

"The request failed with HTTP status 400: Bad Request."

can you let me know what’s wrong with it? How we are going to use this sample code?

at the same time i am unable to find this

URL"http://localhost:8000/nav/customer"

Thanks in advance

Dear Kris Rafnsson,

Your code example and Article is very helpful to me for insert and update data using  navision business layer  but i am not able to Read data,  i am getting error:-

The server threw an exception. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80010105 (RPC_E_SERVERFAULT))

i am not able to understand it, i read about this error on net but not found solution. i think it may because

of below reason:-

In WebServiceListner Class's Output method your write

 /// Note:  We need to create and manage the buffer.

what is the meaning of it and how should we mange buffer

give me your mail id to communicate with u

kindly do the needful      

hi experts,

Does someone know or has a tip how to call a codeunit or a function from table using this web services solution for NAV5.0 or is it impossible?