SOAP Service Reference Auto-Runner

A VS Code extension that monitors WSDL endpoints for changes and automatically updates your .NET service references. Perfect for SOAP service development with real-time WSDL change detection and integrated C# project management.

Features

• WSDL Change Detection: Monitors actual WSDL endpoints (not just files) for content changes
• Smart Monitoring: Polls WSDL URLs every 30 seconds and detects changes via content hashing
• Manual Service Updates: On-demand service reference updates with a single click
• C# Project Integration:
  • Debug C# projects directly from service reference files
  • Run C# projects with integrated terminal support
  • Automatic project discovery
• Generate Initial Config: Create dotnet-svcutil.params.json files with guided setup
• Smart CodeLens Buttons: Context-aware inline buttons in service reference files
• Progress Indication: Real-time feedback during service reference generation
• Output Channel: Dedicated logging for all WSDL monitoring and service operations

Requirements

• .NET SDK: Must have .NET SDK installed with dotnet-svcutil tool available
• Workspace: Requires an open VS Code workspace with SOAP projects containing ServiceReference folders

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• soapServiceReference.autoRun: Enable/disable automatic running of dotnet-svcutil when params files change (default: true)
• soapServiceReference.showNotifications: Show success/error notifications when dotnet-svcutil runs (default: true)
• soapServiceReference.autoUpdateOnWsdlChange: Automatically update service references when WSDL changes are detected without asking (default: false)
• soapServiceReference.wsdlCheckInterval: Interval in seconds to check for WSDL changes, range 5-300 seconds (default: 30)
• soapServiceReference.showWsdlChangeDetails: Show detailed information about WSDL changes in notifications (default: true)
• soapServiceReference.enableWsdlMonitoringByDefault: Automatically start WSDL monitoring when opening service reference files (default: false)

Usage

WSDL Monitoring Mode

1. Open a dotnet-svcutil.params.json file in the editor
2. Click $(eye) Monitor WSDL Changes to start monitoring the WSDL endpoints
3. The extension will check every 30 seconds for changes to the actual WSDL content
4. When changes are detected, you'll get a notification to update the service reference
5. Click $(eye-closed) Stop WSDL Monitoring to stop monitoring

Manual Updates

1. Open a dotnet-svcutil.params.json file in the editor
2. Click $(sync) Update Service Reference to manually update from WSDL
3. Or use the Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P → "SOAP: Run dotnet-svcutil"

C# Project Integration

1. In any dotnet-svcutil.params.json file, use the inline buttons:
   • $(debug-start) Debug C# Project - Start debugging the associated C# project
   • $(play) Run C# Project - Run the C# project in terminal
2. The extension automatically finds the .csproj file in the parent directory

CodeLens Buttons

When viewing a dotnet-svcutil.params.json file, you'll see:

• $(sync) Update Service Reference - Manual service reference update
• $(eye) Monitor WSDL Changes / $(eye-closed) Stop WSDL Monitoring - Toggle WSDL monitoring
• $(debug-start) Debug C# Project - Start debugging
• $(play) Run C# Project - Run project
• $(sync~spin) Running... - Shows when operation is in progress

Creating New Service References

1. Use Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P → "SOAP: Generate dotnet-svcutil.params.json"
2. Or right-click on a folder in Explorer → "Generate dotnet-svcutil.params.json"
3. Follow the guided setup to enter WSDL URL, namespace, and target framework
4. The extension will create the params file and ServiceReference folder structure

Setting Up Custom File Watchers

1. Use Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P → "SOAP: Setup File Watchers"
2. Select which project directories you want to monitor
3. The extension will watch only the selected directories for changes

Project Structure

The extension expects the following project structure:

YourProject/
├── ServiceReference/
│   ├── dotnet-svcutil.params.json
│   └── Reference.cs (generated)
└── YourProject.csproj

Commands

• SOAP: Run dotnet-svcutil - Manually update service reference from WSDL
• SOAP: Generate dotnet-svcutil.params.json - Create a new params file with guided setup
• SOAP: Start WSDL Monitoring - Begin monitoring WSDL endpoints for changes
• SOAP: Stop WSDL Monitoring - Stop WSDL endpoint monitoring
• SOAP: Debug C# Project - Start debugging the associated C# project
• SOAP: Run C# Project - Run the C# project in terminal
• SOAP: Setup File Watchers - Configure legacy file watching (deprecated)

Known Issues

• The extension requires dotnet-svcutil to be available in the system PATH
• File watching only works for files in the workspace; external files are not monitored

Release Notes

0.0.1

• Initial release
• Automatic file watching for dotnet-svcutil.params.json files
• Manual command execution via context menu
• Configurable settings for auto-run and notifications
• Progress indication and output channel logging

Development

To run the extension in development mode:

1. Clone the repository
2. Run npm install to install dependencies
3. Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host
4. Test the extension with your SOAP projects

To build the extension:

npm run compile

To run tests:

npm test

License

This extension is provided as-is for development purposes. See the LICENSE file for details.

Enjoy streamlined SOAP service development!