Custom message header

This article explains about customizing the wcf message flowing between service and client. There are certain scenario in which you to pass some information from client to service, but not as parameter in operation contracts. Example, logging system at the service we need to log user or machine information, which made request to the service. In this kind of scenario we should not pass user or machine information as parameter in operation contract. Instead we can pass the information through message flowing between client and service vice versa. The information we need to send can be appended with message header and it can be received at the server side. Let as create sample service and client application, in which client will send User name information through request message and service will respond with confirmation message. I have created Math service with Add and Subtract functionality. Client consuming this service will send his user name information as string with requested message. Once request reached the service, it will read the information from the message header and display using console window. When service responding to the client, along with operation result, it will also send confirmation message to client through message header. Step 1: Create IMathService interface decorated with Service and Operational contract attribute IMathService.vb <ServiceContract()> _ Public Interface IMathService <OperationContract()> _ Function Add(ByVal a As Integer, ByVal b As Integer) As Integer <OperationContract()> _ Function Subtract(ByVal a As Integer, ByVal b As Integer) As Integer End Interface Step 2:In this class, we have implemented Add and Subtract functionality. PrintRequestedUserID() method will read the UserID message header from incoming message using OperationContext. This User information is displayed in console window. SendResponseWithMessage() method will send a confirmation message to the client as Message header through Operation context. MathService.vb

Public Class MathService Implements IMathService Public Function Add(ByVal a As Integer, ByVal b As Integer) As Integer Implements IMathService.Add 'This method call will retrive message send from client using MessageHeader PrintRequestedUserID() 'This method call will send message to client using MessageHeader SendResponseWithMessage() Return a + b End Function Public Function Subtract(ByVal a As Integer, ByVal b As Integer) As Integer Implements IMathService.Subtract 'This method call will retrive message send from client using MessageHeader PrintRequestedUserID() 'This method call will send message to client using MessageHeader SendResponseWithMessage() Return a - b End Function Private Sub PrintRequestedUserID() Dim userID As String = String.Empty 'Read the message header using "Name" and "NameSpace" userID = OperationContext.Current.IncomingMessageHeaders .GetHeader(Of String)("UserID", "ns") Console.WriteLine("Requested user: " + userID) End Sub Private Sub SendResponseWithMessage() 'Creating new message header with "Content" value assigned in constructor Dim mess As New MessageHeader(Of String)("This is sample message from service") 'Assigning Name and NameSpace to the message header value at server side Dim header As System.ServiceModel.

Channels.MessageHeader = mess.GetUntypedHeader("ServiceMessage", "ns") 'Adding message header with OperationContext 'which will be received at the client side OperationContext.Current.OutgoingMessageHeaders.Add(header) End Sub End Class Step 3: Hosting the MathService using console application MyServiceHost.vb Module MyServiceHost Sub Main() 'Hosting the Math service using console application Dim host As New ServiceHost(GetType(MyService.MathService)) host.Open() Console.WriteLine("Service is running... Press Console.ReadLine() End Sub End Module to exit.")

Web.Config <system.serviceModel> <services><service name="MyService.MathService" behaviorConfiguration="MyServiceBehavior"> <endpoint address ="MathService" binding="basicHttpBinding" contract="MyService.IMathService"/> <endpoint <host> <baseAddresses> <add baseAddress="http://localhost:8090/MyService"/> </baseAddresses> </host> </service> </services> <behaviors> address="mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange"/>

<serviceBehaviors > <behavior name ="MyServiceBehavior"> <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled ="true"/> <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults ="True"/> </behavior> </serviceBehaviors> </behaviors> </system.serviceModel>

Step 4: Created console client application which add UserID as message header to service using Operation context before calling Add() functionality. Once the response is received from the service, it is trying to read the confirmation message from service using Operation context. Sub Main() 'Creating proxy class for service Dim proxy As IMathService = Nothing proxy = ChannelFactory(Of IMathService).CreateChannel(New BasicHttpBinding(), New EndpointAddress("http://localhost:8090/MyService/MathService")) 'Lifetime of OperationContextScope defines the scope for OperationContext. Dim scope As OperationContextScope = Nothing scope = New OperationContextScope(proxy) 'Creating new message header with "Content" value assigned in constructor Dim mess As New MessageHeader(Of String) (System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name) 'Assigning Name and NameSpace to the message header value at client side Dim header As System.ServiceModel.Channels.MessageHeader = mess.GetUntypedHeader("UserID", "ns") 'Adding message header with OperationContext 'which will be received at the server side OperationContext.Current.OutgoingMessageHeaders.Add(header) 'Making service call

Console.WriteLine("Sum of {0},{1}={2}", 1, 2, proxy.Add(1, 2)) 'Displaying confrimation message from service Console.WriteLine("Response Message: " + OperationContext.Current. IncomingMessageHeaders.GetHeader(Of String)("ServiceMessage", "ns")) Console.ReadLine() End Sub End Module <ServiceContract()> _ Public Interface IMathService Inherits IClientChannel <OperationContract()> _ Function Add(ByVal a As Integer, ByVal b As Integer) As Integer <OperationContract()> _ Function Subtract(ByVal a As Integer, ByVal b As Integer) As Integer End Interface

Step 5: Run the MyServiceHost

Step 6: Run the MyClientApplication Below figure shows the message flowing between service and client Client application output

Console hosted service output screen

Conclusion: This article explain about customizing the wcf message header