How to send a request to a Webservice from a text file just like SoapUI

This example shows how to create a simple java Soap WS and send a request to it from a text file.

Features:

• It uses the standard JDK 1.8 libraries.
• You can use it for REST webservices but you'll have to change headers accordingly.
• You don't need an application server or web container to run the server side.

Download the source code here

Create the Server Side

package test.sw.server;
import javax.jws.WebService;
@WebService(endpointInterface = "test.sw.server.TestWSServer")
public class TestWSServer
{
   public double cmToIn(double cm)
   {
      return cm / 2.54;
   }
   public double inToCm(double in)
   {
      return in * 2.54;
   }
}

Create the Endpont

package test.sw.server;
import javax.xml.ws.Endpoint;
public class UCPublisher
{
   public static void main(String[] args)
   {
      Endpoint.publish("http://localhost:8080/TestSoap", new TestWSServer());
   }
}

Run the endpoint

If you load the url http://localhost:8080/TestSoap?wsdl with a web browser or smilar you should see the wsdl soap xml being generated.

Test the WS with SoapUI or similar

File > New Soap Project > Choose a project name and add the http://localhost:8080/TestSoap?wsdl (the endpoint must be executing) Then click ok

Change the arg0 in the request part and click the green triangle to submit request. You should see something like this:

Copy the whole request into a file that will be used in the final example.

Send file to WS just like Soap UI

package test.sw.server;
import java.io.DataOutputStream;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
import java.net.URL;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.Paths;
import java.util.Scanner;
public class TestWSHTTPS {
    private static final int TIME_OUT = 10000;    
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        final String URL = "http://localhost:8080/TestSoap";
        final String FILE = "/path/to/your/file.txt";    
        URL obj = new URL(URL);
        HttpURLConnection con = (HttpURLConnection) obj.openConnection();
        con.setConnectTimeout(TIME_OUT);
        byte[] fileBytes = Files.readAllBytes(Paths.get(FILE));
        String fileContent = new String(fileBytes, "UTF-8");
        // request headers (add all headers needed)
        con.setRequestMethod("POST");
        con.setRequestProperty("Content-length", String.valueOf(fileBytes.length));
        con.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "text/xml;charset=UTF-8");
        // Send post request
        con.setDoOutput(true);
        con.setReadTimeout(TIME_OUT);
        DataOutputStream outputStream= new DataOutputStream(con.getOutputStream());
        outputStream.write(fileContent.getBytes());
        int responseCode = con.getResponseCode();
        System.out.println("responseCode:" + responseCode);
        InputStream in = null;
        if (con.getResponseCode() >= 200 && con.getResponseCode()<= 300 ) {
            in = con.getInputStream();
        } else {
            in = con.getErrorStream();
        }
        System.out.println("\nSending 'POST' request to URL : " + URL);
        System.out.println("Response Code : " + responseCode);
        Scanner s = new Scanner(in).useDelimiter("\\A");
        String result = s.hasNext() ? s.next() : "";
        System.out.println(result);
    }
}

Change the FILE path to your request file and ejecute the java. In the console you should see a similar response as previously shown by SoapUI.

Notes

• If you are using HTTPS you may need to add a certificate to your JDK/JRE

• If your WS is JSON you may need to change the Content-type header.