Creating Web Service using FastReport.Service.dll

We have an easy way to implement a web service using the library FastReport.Service.dll (WCF Service Library), which is supplied with FastReport .Net.

Our example is based on creating a simple web application with a web service functions, but you can modify your existing project based on .NET Framework 4.0 or newer.

Run Visual Studio and create a new ASP.NET Web Application project under .NET Framework 4.0.

New Web Application

Add references on libraries FastReport.dll, FastReport.Bars.dll, FastReport.Service.dll

Create a new text file with name ReportService.svc in site root.

New Text File

Add next lines in file:

<%@ ServiceHost Service="FastReport.Service.ReportService" %>
 
<%@ Assembly Name="FastReport.Service" %>

Open web.config and add next sections in <configuration>:

<appSettings>
 <!-- path to folder with reports -->
 <add key="FastReport.ReportsPath" value="C:\Program files\FastReports\FastReport.Net\Demos\WCF" />
 <!-- name of connection string for reports -->
 <add key="FastReport.ConnectionStringName" value="FastReportDemo" />
 <!-- Comma-separated list of available formats PDF,DOCX,XLSX,PPTX,RTF,ODS,ODT,MHT,CSV,DBF,XML,TXT,FPX. 
 You can delete any or change order in this list. -->
 <add key="FastReport.Gear" value="PDF,DOCX,XLSX,PPTX,RTF,ODS,ODT,MHT,CSV,DBF,XML,TXT,FPX" />
 </appSettings>
 <connectionStrings>
 <add name="FastReportDemo" connectionString="XsdFile=;XmlFile=C:\Program Files\FastReports\FastReport.Net\Demos\Reports\nwind.xml"/>
 </connectionStrings>
 <system.serviceModel>
 <services>
 <service behaviorConfiguration="FastReportServiceBehavior" name="FastReport.Service.ReportService">
 <endpoint address="" binding="wsHttpBinding" contract="FastReport.Service.IFastReportService">
 <identity>
 <dns value="localhost" />
 </identity>
 </endpoint>
 <endpoint address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" />
 </service>
 </services>
 <behaviors>
 <serviceBehaviors>
 <behavior name="FastReportServiceBehavior">
 <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="True" />
 <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="True" />
 </behavior>
 </serviceBehaviors>
 </behaviors>
 <bindings>
 <basicHttpBinding>
 <binding messageEncoding="Mtom"
 closeTimeout="00:02:00" openTimeout="00:02:00"
 receiveTimeout="00:10:00" sendTimeout="00:02:00"
 maxReceivedMessageSize="67108864" maxBufferSize="65536"
 transferMode="Streamed">
 <security mode="None">
 <transport clientCredentialType="None" />
 </security>
 </binding>
 </basicHttpBinding>
 </bindings>
 </system.serviceModel>

The key "FastReport.ReportsPath" should contain a path to folder with reports. You can set demo folder «\FastReport.Net\Demos\WCF» for example.

The key "FastReport.ConnectionStringName" should contain connection string name. This line should be registered in section <connectionStrings>.

Let's run our site and check the availability of a Web service by access to a file ReportService.svc.

ReportService

When you deploy the project on the server, be sure to check for files FastReport.dll, FastReport.Bars.dll, FastReport.Service.dll in the folder /bin.

Examples of client programs can be found in the folder \FastReport.Net\Demos\C#\WCFClient and \FastReport.Net\Demos\C#\WCFWebClient. Open each project in Visual Studio and right click on ReportService and select Configure Service Reference.

Configure Service Reference

Specify the address of an existing web service in configuration window.

To be continued.