Develop a Web Service that sends an Email - in ABAP

[thomas_jung]

Introduction
I read Renald Wittwer very nice weblog this morning on how to Develop a Web Service that sends an Email. The author gave a very complete walkthrough of how to create this Web Service in the WebAS Java Personality. I thought it might be fun and interesting to take the exact same example in recreate it in ABAP as a WebService. Please note that this example is from a WebAS 640 system and uses new functionality that is only available as of 640.

Updated!The process described in this weblog was done on a Netweaver 04 system. The screens and steps are different for Netweaver 04S. Have a look at Develop a Web Service that sends an Email - in ABAP, Netweaver 04S.

Prerequisites
-WebAS 640 ABAP personality -Configured Email Setup in the WebAS ABAP - See Sending E-Mail from ABAP - Version 610 and Higher - BCS Interface

Create an ABAP Function Module
1. Go to SE80.
2. Create a new RFC enabled Function Module



3. Importing Parameters


4. Exporting Parameters


5. Program Coding

FUNCTION z_e_rfc_ws_mail_service.*"----------------------------------------------------------------------*"*"Local Interface:*"  IMPORTING*"     VALUE(FROM) TYPE  STRING*"     VALUE(TO) TYPE  STRING*"     VALUE(MESSAGE) TYPE  STRING*"     VALUE(SUBJECT) TYPE  STRING*"  EXPORTING*"     VALUE(RETURN) TYPE  BAPIRET2*"----------------------------------------------------------------------*----------------------------------------------------------------------** CLASS-DEFINITIONS                                                    **----------------------------------------------------------------------*  DATA: send_request       TYPE REF TO cl_bcs.  DATA: document           TYPE REF TO cl_document_bcs.  DATA: sender             TYPE REF TO if_sender_bcs.  DATA: recipient          TYPE REF TO if_recipient_bcs.  DATA: exception_info     TYPE REF TO if_os_exception_info,        bcs_exception      TYPE REF TO cx_bcs.*----------------------------------------------------------------------** INTERNAL TABLES                                                      **----------------------------------------------------------------------*  DATA: l_mailtext TYPE soli_tab.  TRY.* Create persistent send request      send_request = cl_bcs=>create_persistent( ).* Move the Subject from string to BCS subject type      DATA: l_subject TYPE so_obj_des.      l_subject = subject.* Move the message from string to internal table      CALL FUNCTION 'SCMS_STRING_TO_FTEXT'        EXPORTING          text      = message        TABLES          ftext_tab = l_mailtext.* Create the Document      document = cl_document_bcs=>create_document(                          i_type    = 'RAW'                          i_text    = l_mailtext                          i_subject = l_subject ).* Add document to send request      CALL METHOD send_request->set_document( document ).* Get sender object      DATA: l_sender TYPE ad_smtpadr.      l_sender = from.      sender = cl_cam_address_bcs=>create_internet_address( l_sender ).* Add sender      CALL METHOD send_request->set_sender        EXPORTING          i_sender = sender.* Get Recipient Object      DATA: l_recipient TYPE ad_smtpadr.      l_recipient = to.      recipient = cl_cam_address_bcs=>create_internet_address( l_recipient ).* Add recipient with its respective attributes to send request      CALL METHOD send_request->add_recipient        EXPORTING          i_recipient  = recipient.* Set that you don't need a Return Status E-mail      call method send_request->set_status_attributes        exporting          i_requested_status = 'E'          i_status_mail      = 'E'.* set send immediately flag      send_request->set_send_immediately( 'X' ).* Send document      call method send_request->send( ).      COMMIT WORK.    CATCH cx_bcs INTO bcs_exception.      data: l_message type string.      l_message = bcs_exception->GET_TEXT( ).      return-message = l_message.  ENDTRY.ENDFUNCTION.

Create a Virtual Interface
1. From SE80 Choose other Object
2. Go to the Enterprise Services Tab
3. Choose Virtual Interface, enter a name, and then hit create



4. Fill in the Virtual Interface Parameters, linking it to the function module we just created.



5. We now have our generated Virtual Interface



Create a WebService Definition
1. From SE80 Choose Other Object
2. Go to the Enterprise Services Tab
3. Choose Web Service Definition, enter a name, and then hit create



4. Fill in the Web Services Parameters, linking it to the Virtual Interface we just created.



5. We can now set our Features for this WebService. However for this example we will keep everything at the defaults.





6. Optionally, we can also publish our WebService into an external UDDI server at this point.



Releasing our WebService
1. Now we are ready to go to Transaction WSCONFIG to release our Web Service Definition.



Testing our WebService
1. We can now go to transaction WSADMIN to view the WSDL file or test our WebService.



2. We can also call our WebService from another programming tool. In the screen shot below we see it in use in Visual Studio .Net.