Re: AppleScript SOAP request failures
Re: AppleScript SOAP request failures
- Subject: Re: AppleScript SOAP request failures
- From: David Barnes <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2003 14:50:47 +1100
Gary, folks,
>
> In developing a small client to a SOAP web service using AppleScript,
>
> I have run into a reproducible defect wherein repeated calls to a
>
> service ultimately result in a call that hangs.
>
>
Well, yeah. Ping a server 500 times and see if you get some drop-outs. It
>
seems almost intuitive to expect that some round-trips will get interrupted.
>
In fact, the entire internet concept is built around that very idea.
Evidently I wasn't clear enough. The service call that fails
never gets to the web service. It takes minutes to time out
(presumably some timeout Apple have put in the SOAP code),
and doesn't return a failure. It simply leaves the return
variable undefined. The web service server *never* logs the
call that fails - it never arrives. At this point you might
still think that your "packet interruption" theory is still
good, *but*:
The same script implemented in python on other machines can
run as many times as I like, as rapidly as it can, from many
other boxes and not fail once.
All other implementations of SOAP I have tried, calling the
same service from the same originating domain, do not
fail in the way the AppleScript SOAP calls occasionally but
repeatably fail.
>
> I hope someone else has seen this before and knows a solution
>
> or at least a workaround.
>
>
Yes, trap the drop-out and send the request again, like other software does.
>
Haven't you ever loaded a web page, to find that one small .gif didn't load,
>
but that you could refresh the browser or load the image on a second
>
attempt?
The SOAP call returns an undefined value several minutes after
the call commences. This is an inadequate way to fail, even
*if* the call was made and connected to the server correctly.
But this is not what is happening.
>
> I am now sure it is a serious bug indeed
>
>
Hmm. I don't know about "sure" or "serious bug", of even a "defect". Is
>
there a real point in repeating a SOAP call 20 times in a loop, as per your
>
example?
For goodness sake, the point of repeating the SOAP call 20 times
in a loop is to provide those helpful people on this list with
a simple way to repeat the problem.(*) In the app I am building,
the SOAP call is made whenever the user wants to do a new
conversion. And for that matter, it's not a currency conversion,
I've used that service as an example as well. The original failure
was seen accessing a local service for which your packet loss
arguments are irrelevant.
>
Maybe I am missing the gravity of the issue for you, but it seems almost
>
elementary that you would simply trap for dropped calls and resend them --
>
like other internet software.
I think you've completely missed the "gravity", yes.
- David.
(*) and if I were to adopt your apparent attitude, I might dare to
ask if you know anything at all about tracking and fixing
bugs, and making things easy to repeat for people who might
spare a moment to help you out, but I think I'll resist.
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