Consuming a web reference in a class library (C#/.NET)

Question

I have a project that uses a class library for the business layer functionality (database access, etc.). A web application sits on top of this. I have a web service that I would like to call in the class library. Every time I add a 'service reference' (I am using VS2008) to the class library, everything seems to work OK. The name of the web service is 'EmployeeService'. However, when I try to access it from code, intellisense gives me options like:

'EmployeeServiceSoap'

'EmployeeServiceSoapChannel'

'EmployeeServiceSoapClient'

and lots of '...Request'

'...RequestBody'

'...RequestResponse' types.

I can't access my EmployeeService class even if I write it anyway the compiler will complain. Any ideas? Thanks for any help...

Answer 1

You're supposed to use the EmployeeServiceSoapClient to access the service. The Service class itself sits on the server.

Answer 2

Really? I will try that. That must have changed with VS2008/.NET 3.5 right? I know it wasn't like that in the past.

EDIT: I finally figured it out. I was adding the reference as a 'service reference' and not a 'web reference'. I guess service reference is new in .NET 3.5 and it a little difference from a classical web reference. VS2008 did not give me an option to add a web reference. I had to go into the advanced properties of the service reference and add a web reference instead. Once I did this it gives me two options (one to add a service reference, another to add a web reference), go figure.