Notes: Module 7: Mule 3 Fundamentals: Consuming Web Services

Contents (on this Blog): My notes on 'Anypoint Platform Development Fundamentals (Mule 3)'

7-1) Consuming RESTful Web Services

1) Check and see if there is an existing Anypoint Connector to connect to the service provider.

2) If not, use the HTTP Request connector.

Walkthrough 7-1: Consume a RESTful web service

- Create a new flow to call a RESTful web service

- Use an HTTP Request endpoint to consume a RESTful web service

- Use DataWeave to transform the JSON response into JSON specified by an API

Image: Global Element: United HTTP Request Configuration

Image: United REST Request

Image: x+y?  - examining the REST API Message Payload

Note: DataWeave Transform Message allows you to load examples (like JSON examples) and graphically map elements.

7-2) Passing arguments to RESTful Web Services

Passing data to a RESTful web service:

- For an HTTP Request endpoint, you can add parameters

- Send form parameters with a request by setting them in a payload

- Include attachments by adding an Attachment transformer to your flow

Image: Passing data to a RESTful web service

Walkthrough 7-2: Pass arguments to a RESTful web service

- Modify the HTTP Request endpoint to use a URI parameter

- Set the destination to a static value

- Create a flow variable to store the value of a query parameter

- Set the URI parameter to the dynamic value of this flow variable

Image: getUnitedFlightsFlow

Image: Capturing Airport Code in a Variable

Modifying (Airport) code so we don’t get an error if code is not specified in the request:

Value: #[message.inboundProperties.'http.query.params'.code == empty ? 'SFO' : message.inboundProperties.'http.query.params'.code]

Image: United REST Request

7-3) Consuming RESTful web services that have RAML definitions

A RAML location (local file or external URI) can be specified for a HTTP Request connector.

After you specify a RAML location, all fields will be automatically populated based on what’s specified in the RAML.

Walkthrough 7-3: Consume a RESTful web service that has a RAML definition

- Create a new flow to call a RESTful web service that has a RAML definition.

- Select the web service resource from the list provided by Anypoint Studio from the RAML file.

- Use DataWeave to transform the JSON response into JSON specified by an API.

Image: Transform Message: Populating null with a value

7-4) Consuming SOAP web services

Mule’s SOAP support is based on Apache CXF

- CXF is a web services framework in Java for SOAP messaging

- Handles all serialization and deserialization

- Handles all SOAP envelope and namespace processing

- Developer only sees POJOs (Java Object) etc. - not SOAP XML

Consuming SOAP web services:

If there is not an existing Anypoint Connector to the Service Provider ...

- Use the Web Service Consumer connector (provide the WSDL)

- If you need more features, use the CXF component (also used to expose an endpoint as a SOAP service)

Walkthrough 7-4: Consume a SOAP Web Service

- Create a new flow to call a SOAP web service

- Use a Web Service Consumer endpoint to consume a SOAP web service

- Use DataWeave to transform the XML response into JSON

Image: Configuring a (Global) Web Service Consumer

Image: Web Service Consumer configuration (for SOAP)

Image: Mapping XML to JSON in DataWeave Transform Message

7-5) Passing arguments to SOAP web services with DataWeave

Walkthrough 7-5: Pass arguments to SOAP web service

- Change the web service operation invoked to one that requires a destination as an input argument.

- Set a flow variable to the desired destination.

- Use DataWeave to pass the flow variable to the web service operation.

Image: setCodeSubflow -> Pass code -> Delta SOAP Request

Image: DataWeave knows the input and knows the output needs to be XML