Web Service require Python List as argument. Need to invoke from C#.

Question

Hi.

I need to consume a webservice over XML-RPC. The webservice is written in Python, and one of the arguments is a Python list.

I'm using XML-RPC.NET to invoke all the methods and it works fine, except for those that require a Python list argument.

What would be the corresponding structure in C# which, if I pass as the argument, would be construed by the web service as a Python list? I've tried Python-style code in a string. I've also tried string arrays.

Any example would be really helpful.

Thanks, V

Answer 1

What you need to obtain in the underlying XML is an <array> tag, e.g.

<array>
   <data>
      <value><i4>12</i4></value>
      <value><string>Egypt</string></value>
      <value><boolean>0</boolean></value>
      <value><i4>-31</i4></value>
   </data>
</array>

for Python list

[12, 'Egypt', False, -31]

How you get XML-RPC.NET to emit an <array> tag with a heterogenous "array", I'm not sure. Do you have a way to visualize the XML that's getting emitted for certain C# input constructs/data structures...?

Answer 2

You need to use arrays of System.Object[]. See http://www.xml-rpc.net/faq/xmlrpcnetfaq.html#1.12 These are generally equivalent to Python lists.