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I need to modify an existing method of web services to include additional data member (Like add category attribute to email object).

The problem is, the web service method has already been used by a number of applications. This additional attribute will only be beneficial to one new application that I am working on, it should not have any effects on any one of these existing application.

Is there any attribute that I can use to set this new field to be optional for the applications that consume it? Without breaking any existing applications.

Here is code Snippet for the webservice:

[DataContract(Namespace = "URN:SmartmailPRO")]
public class Email : IEmail, IValidDataContract
{
    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    public int EmailId { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    public int CampaignFolderId { get; set; }

    /*I want to add this attribute to the class definition, but I am not sure whether this will break any existing application that consumes the web services.*/
    //[DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    //public string CampaignFolderName { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = true, Order = 1)]
    public int ListId { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = true, Order = 1)]
    public int FromAddressId { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = true, Order = 1)]
    public int ReplyAddressId { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = true, Order = 1)]
    public string EmailName { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = true, Order = 1)]
    public string FromName { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    public string HTMLContent { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    public string TextContent { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    public string Subject { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    public string CustomData { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    public bool Sent { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 1)]
    public int TemplateId { get; set; }

    [DataMember(IsRequired = false, Order = 2)]
    public DateTime? SentDateUTC { get; set; }
    .....
   }

Here is code Snippet for how to consume the webservice:

       var results = ApiHelper.EmailSearch(new EmailQuery()
        {
            ListId = 1711,
            //QA_CAMPAIGN_FOLDER
            Status = 1,
            StatusFrom = Convert.ToDateTime("01/01/2013"),
            StatusTo = Convert.ToDateTime("01/01/2014")
        });

        this.dataGridView1.DataSource = results;

I have developed two testing windows form applications to consume the web services. First one consumes the original web services. Second one consumes the modified web services. After I added the additional property to the Email class, both windows form application work fine.

June
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  • Could you show us a bit of code. Are you doing this code first or contract first? – Namphibian Mar 02 '15 at 20:50
  • Thanks Namphibian for your comments. Please take a look at the code snippet that I have provided. – June Mar 02 '15 at 21:25
  • In theory practice and theory are the same. In practice they are different. I suspect that the theory hold true. Thus by adding an optional element to a structure your clients should be able to call the service with the new structure without any problem. However it depends on how they implemented it. I will get back to you on this one in the next day just a bit swamped with parental duties. – Namphibian Mar 03 '15 at 10:20

0 Answers0