How to programmatically connect a client to a WCF service?

Question

I'm trying to connect an application (the client) to an exposed WCF service, but not through the application configuration file, but in code.

How should I go about doing this?

Answer 1

You'll have to use the ChannelFactory class.

Here's an example:

var myBinding = new BasicHttpBinding();
var myEndpoint = new EndpointAddress("http://localhost/myservice");
using (var myChannelFactory = new ChannelFactory<IMyService>(myBinding, myEndpoint))
{
    IMyService client = null;

    try
    {
        client = myChannelFactory.CreateChannel();
        client.MyServiceOperation();
        ((ICommunicationObject)client).Close();
        myChannelFactory.Close();
    }
    catch
    {
        (client as ICommunicationObject)?.Abort();
    }
}

Related resources:

• How to: Use the ChannelFactory

Answer 2

You can also do what the "Service Reference" generated code does

public class ServiceXClient : ClientBase<IServiceX>, IServiceX
{
    public ServiceXClient() { }

    public ServiceXClient(string endpointConfigurationName) :
        base(endpointConfigurationName) { }

    public ServiceXClient(string endpointConfigurationName, string remoteAddress) :
        base(endpointConfigurationName, remoteAddress) { }

    public ServiceXClient(string endpointConfigurationName, EndpointAddress remoteAddress) :
        base(endpointConfigurationName, remoteAddress) { }

    public ServiceXClient(Binding binding, EndpointAddress remoteAddress) :
        base(binding, remoteAddress) { }

    public bool ServiceXWork(string data, string otherParam)
    {
        return base.Channel.ServiceXWork(data, otherParam);
    }
}

Where IServiceX is your WCF Service Contract

Then your client code:

var client = new ServiceXClient(new WSHttpBinding(SecurityMode.None), new EndpointAddress("http://localhost:911"));
client.ServiceXWork("data param", "otherParam param");