In this lesson, learn how to create a service stub from
a Web Service Description Language (WSDL) specification.
About this task
Service stubs are simulations of an actual service, which can be used to functionally replace the
service in a test environment. A stub server replaces the actual application server in cases where
it is not practical to use the server. For example, use a stub server in these instances:
If you are testing a local service that uses data from a remote service, you might need to
inject specific content into the service under test from the remote service. You can simulate the
remote service with a service stub to ensure that the local service responds correctly to specific
input.
Some commercial service providers charge users for each request. If you are testing such a
service, you can develop and debug your test against a stub service, which is based on the WSDL of
the actual service, without being charged by the service provider.
During integration of a large application that involves multiple clients and services, some
services might not yet be operational, although their WSDL specifications are available. You can
simulate the missing services with service stubs so that you can proceed with the integration
work.
From the point of view of the client application, the service stub looks identical to the actual
service that it simulates. To use a service stub as a replacement of the actual service, you must be
able to replace the URL of the original service in the client application with the URL of the stub
server.
You create a service stub by providing a current WSDL specification. The service stub is
generated with the exact same ports and bindings as the original service so that it can be addressed
with exactly the same interface. Each operation in the service returns a default response of the
type defined by the WSDL.