Problem formatting XML with PHP5's SOAP extension

beley

I'm connecting to a web service via PHP's soap extension and am getting an error that a nullable variable isn't declared, but it is.

Here is the error:

The element 'Dependents' in namespace 'http://webserviceurl' has incomplete content. List of possible elements expected: 'Dependent' in namespace 'http://webserviceurl'.

and here is how the element is sent:

<Dependents />

here is how they said it should be sent:

<Dependents xsi:nil="true" xmlns="http://webserviceurl" />

Is there any way using PHP's soap extension to format the XML that is created? There is a WSDL file, so is it getting the information on how to format from that?

I'm very new to SOAP and XML, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Valdhor

If you use a WSDL, PHP's SOAP extension uses that to make sure you are specifying elements correctly.

Does the WSDL specify something like minOccurs=1 ? If so, you must have something there. The Web Service itself may say the element is optional but the WSDL says there must be at least one element. Further to this, I believe that minOccurs defaults to 1 if not specified.

Something else; If the WSDL specifies nillable="true", to send a null element you have to send <Dependents xsi:nil="true" /> or <Dependents xsi:nil="true"></Dependents>. ie. The first requires the second.

Posting the location of the WSDL will help greatly.

beley

Here is that section in the WSDL file (provided to us, not created by me)

Here is that section in the WSDL file (provided to us, not created by me)

[code=php]
<s:schema elementFormDefault="qualified" targetNamespace="http://webserviceurl">
  <s:element name="Dependents" nillable="true" type="s5:Dependents" /> 
<s:complexType name="Dependents">
<s:sequence>
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" name="Dependent" type="s5:DependentsDependent" /> 
  </s:sequence>
  </s:complexType>
<s:complexType name="DependentsDependent">
<s:sequence>
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="SSN" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="Title" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="FirstName" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="LastName" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="MiddleName" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="DateOfBirth" type="s:date" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="Gender" type="s5:DependentsDependentGender" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="MaritalStatus" type="s5:DependentsDependentMaritalStatus" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="RelationType" type="s5:DependentRelationType" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="Address1" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="Address2" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="City" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="State" type="s5:DependentStateList" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="Zip" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="HomePhone" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="WorkPhone" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="EMail" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="Occupation" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="SchoolName" type="s:string" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="DependentStatus" type="s5:DependentStatusList" /> 
  <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="DataChangeDate" type="s:string" /> 
  </s:sequence>
  </s:complexType>
<s:simpleType name="DependentsDependentGender">
<s:restriction base="s:string">
  <s:enumeration value="Male" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Female" /> 
  </s:restriction>
  </s:simpleType>
<s:simpleType name="DependentsDependentMaritalStatus">
<s:restriction base="s:string">
  <s:enumeration value="Unknown" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Single" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Married" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Divorced" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Separated" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Widow" /> 
  </s:restriction>
  </s:simpleType>
<s:simpleType name="DependentRelationType">
<s:restriction base="s:string">
  <s:enumeration value="Employee" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Spouse" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Father" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Mother" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Friends" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Others" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Domestic Partner" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Grand Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Foster Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Step Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Grand Father" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Grand Mother" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Niece" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Nephew" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Sister" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Brother" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Sister-in-law" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Brother-in-law" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Father-in-law" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Mother-in-law" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Adopted Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Cousin" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Ex-Spouse" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Sponsored Dependent" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Guardian" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Court Appointed Guardian" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Ward" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Stepfather" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Stepmother" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Collateral Dependent" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Self" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Aunt" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Uncle" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Parent" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Non-relation" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Domestic Partner's Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Domestic Partner's Step Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Domestic Partner's Adopted Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Domestic Partner's Foster Child" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Husband" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Wife" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Son-in-law" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Daughter-in-law" /> 
  </s:restriction>
  </s:simpleType>
<s:simpleType name="DependentStateList">
<s:restriction base="s:string">
  <s:enumeration value="" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="AK" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="AL" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="AR" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="AZ" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="BC" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="CA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="CO" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="CT" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="DC" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="DE" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="FL" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="GA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="GU" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="HI" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="IA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="ID" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="IL" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="IN" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="KS" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="KY" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="LA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="MA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="MD" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="ME" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="MI" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="MN" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="MO" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="MS" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="MT" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="NA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="NC" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="ND" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="NE" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="NH" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="NJ" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="NM" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="NV" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="NY" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="OH" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="OK" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="ON" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="OR" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="PA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="PR" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="RI" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="SC" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="SD" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="TN" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="TX" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="UT" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="VA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="VI" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="VT" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="WA" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="WI" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="WV" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="WY" /> 
  </s:restriction>
  </s:simpleType>
<s:simpleType name="DependentStatusList">
<s:restriction base="s:string">
  <s:enumeration value="N\A" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Handicap" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Student" /> 
  <s:enumeration value="Handicap-Student" /> 
  </s:restriction>
  </s:simpleType>
  </s:schema>

I just changed the URL and posted the specific section because I don't think we're supposed to make it public. Does that help any?

beley

Valdhor wrote:
Something else; If the WSDL specifies nillable="true", to send a null element you have to send <Dependents xsi:nil="true" /> or <Dependents xsi:nil="true"></Dependents>. ie. The first requires the second..

It does specify nillable="true". How do I pass the 'xsi:nil="true"' through using PHP SOAP extension?

Valdhor

Try creating a nil value SoapParam. Something like this...

$nilDependentsParam = new SoapParam(null, "Dependents");

Now, when you make your SOAP call, include the SoapParam in the array that you will send. Something like this...

$theResponse = $client->__soapCall("theMethodIAmCalling",
array($nilDependentsParam, $otherDataIAmSending)
);

If you check the XML that is sent you will see it is set to:

<Dependents xsi:nil="true"/>

With any sort of luck that should be all you need to do.

beley

Valdhor wrote:
Try creating a nil value SoapParam. Something like this...
$nilDependentsParam = new SoapParam(null, "Dependents");
Now, when you make your SOAP call, include the SoapParam in the array that you will send. Something like this...
$theResponse = $client->__soapCall("theMethodIAmCalling",
array($nilDependentsParam, $otherDataIAmSending)
);
If you check the XML that is sent you will see it is set to:
<Dependents xsi:nil="true"/>
With any sort of luck that should be all you need to do.

I tried that and when I look at the XML, it's still just:

<Dependents/>

Is there some sort of configuration or something I'm missing?

Valdhor

Nope (Well, I have nothing configured for SOAP). What version of Apache/PHP are you using? I am using Linux Apache 2.2.6 with PHP 5.2.3.

This code works for me every time.

I have not done this but you could subclass the SoapParam class and add this functionality.

beley

PHP 5.2.5, Apache/2.0.63 Linux

Should I upgrade Apache?

Valdhor

I can't tell you to do that - I don't know for sure that it's the root cause of the problem.

If it's easy enough for you to do and it won't break any other Apache modules that you have, then I'd say Go Ahead - It can't hurt.

If that doesn't work, PM me and I'll try to help you get this working.

beley

Thanks, I'm recompiling Apache to the newest version just to see. Hopefully that'll help... this is driving me nuts!

beley

It seems I can't send PM's yet (must be a post count thing). Still having problems... I upgraded Apache and still can't seem to get PHP to create any XML other than <Dependents/>. It's weird.

If you're willing to help, I'd be happy to send you the code and wsdl file. My email is beley [at] mac.com

Thanks