# class XMLRPC::Client

Provides remote procedure calls to a XML-RPC server.

After setting the connection-parameters with ::new which creates a new XMLRPC::Client instance, you can execute a remote procedure by sending the #call or #call2 message to this new instance.

The given parameters indicate which method to call on the remote-side and of course the parameters for the remote procedure.

    require "xmlrpc/client"

    server = XMLRPC::Client.new("www.ruby-lang.org", "/RPC2", 80)
    begin
      param = server.call("michael.add", 4, 5)
      puts "4 + 5 = #{param}"
    rescue XMLRPC::FaultException => e
      puts "Error:"
      puts e.faultCode
      puts e.faultString
    end

or

    require "xmlrpc/client"

    server = XMLRPC::Client.new("www.ruby-lang.org", "/RPC2", 80)
    ok, param = server.call2("michael.add", 4, 5)
    if ok then
      puts "4 + 5 = #{param}"
    else
      puts "Error:"
      puts param.faultCode
      puts param.faultString
    end

### Constants

USER_AGENT

### Attributes

cookie[RW]

Get and set the HTTP Cookie header.

http[R]

Returns the Net::HTTP object for the client. If you want to change HTTP client options except header, cookie, timeout, user and password, use Net::HTTP directly.

Since 2.1.0.

http_header_extra[RW]

Add additional HTTP headers to the request

http_last_response[R]

Returns the Net::HTTPResponse object of the last RPC.

password[R]

Return the corresponding attributes.

timeout[R]

Return the corresponding attributes.

user[R]

Return the corresponding attributes.

### Public Class Methods

new(host=nil, path=nil, port=nil, proxy_host=nil, proxy_port=nil, user=nil, password=nil, use_ssl=nil, timeout=nil) click to toggle source

Creates an object which represents the remote XML-RPC server on the given `host`. If the server is CGI-based, `path` is the path to the CGI-script, which will be called, otherwise (in the case of a standalone server) `path` should be `"/RPC2"`. `port` is the port on which the XML-RPC server listens.

If `proxy_host` is given, then a proxy server listening at `proxy_host` is used. `proxy_port` is the port of the proxy server.

Default values for `host`, `path` and `port` are 'localhost', '/RPC2' and '80' respectively using SSL '443'.

If `user` and `password` are given, each time a request is sent, an Authorization header is sent. Currently only Basic Authentication is implemented, no Digest.

If `use_ssl` is set to `true`, communication over SSL is enabled.

Parameter `timeout` is the time to wait for a XML-RPC response, defaults to 30.

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 82
    def initialize(host=nil, path=nil, port=nil, proxy_host=nil, proxy_port=nil,
                   user=nil, password=nil, use_ssl=nil, timeout=nil)

      @http_header_extra = nil
      @http_last_response = nil
      @cookie = nil

      @host       = host || "localhost"
      @path       = path || "/RPC2"
      @proxy_host = proxy_host
      @proxy_port = proxy_port
      @proxy_host ||= 'localhost' if @proxy_port != nil
      @proxy_port ||= 8080 if @proxy_host != nil
      @use_ssl    = use_ssl || false
      @timeout    = timeout || 30

      if use_ssl
        require "net/https"
        @port = port || 443
      else
        @port = port || 80
      end

      @user, @password = user, password

      set_auth

      # convert ports to integers
      @port = @port.to_i if @port != nil
      @proxy_port = @proxy_port.to_i if @proxy_port != nil

      # HTTP object for synchronous calls
      @http = net_http(@host, @port, @proxy_host, @proxy_port)
      @http.use_ssl = @use_ssl if @use_ssl
      @http.read_timeout = @timeout
      @http.open_timeout = @timeout

      @parser = nil
      @create = nil
    end

new2(uri, proxy=nil, timeout=nil) click to toggle source

Creates an object which represents the remote XML-RPC server at the given `uri`. The URI should have a host, port, path, user and password. Example: user:password@host:port/path

Raises an ArgumentError if the `uri` is invalid, or if the protocol isn't http or https.

If a `proxy` is given it should be in the form of “host:port”.

The optional `timeout` defaults to 30 seconds.

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 136
    def new2(uri, proxy=nil, timeout=nil)
      begin
        url = URI(uri)
      rescue URI::InvalidURIError => e
        raise ArgumentError, e.message, e.backtrace
      end

      unless URI::HTTP === url
        raise ArgumentError, "Wrong protocol specified. Only http or https allowed!"
      end

      proto  = url.scheme
      user   = url.user
      passwd = url.password
      host   = url.host
      port   = url.port
      path   = url.path.empty? ? nil : url.request_uri

      proxy_host, proxy_port = (proxy || "").split(":")
      proxy_port = proxy_port.to_i if proxy_port

      self.new(host, path, port, proxy_host, proxy_port, user, passwd, (proto == "https"), timeout)
    end

Also aliased as: new_from_uri
new3(hash={}) click to toggle source

Receives a Hash and calls ::new with the corresponding values.

The `hash` parameter has following case-insensitive keys:

- host

- path

- port

- proxy_host

- proxy_port

- user

- password

- use_ssl

- timeout

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 175
    def new3(hash={})

      # convert all keys into lowercase strings
      h = {}
      hash.each { |k,v| h[k.to_s.downcase] = v }

      self.new(h['host'], h['path'], h['port'], h['proxy_host'], h['proxy_port'], h['user'], h['password'],
               h['use_ssl'], h['timeout'])
    end

Also aliased as: new_from_hash
new_from_hash(hash={})
Alias for: new3
new_from_uri(uri, proxy=nil, timeout=nil)
Alias for: new2

### Public Instance Methods

call(method, *args) click to toggle source

Invokes the method named `method` with the parameters given by `args` on the XML-RPC server.

The `method` parameter is converted into a String and should be a valid XML-RPC method-name.

Each parameter of `args` must be of one of the following types, where Hash, Struct and Array can contain any of these listed types:

- Integer

- TrueClass, FalseClass, `true`, `false`

- String, Symbol

- Float

- Hash, Struct

- Array

- Date, Time, XMLRPC::DateTime

- XMLRPC::Base64

- A Ruby object which class includes XMLRPC::Marshallable (only if Config::ENABLE_MARSHALLING is `true`). That object is converted into a hash, with one additional key/value pair `_class___` which contains the class name for restoring that object later.

The method returns the return-value from the Remote Procedure Call.

The type of the return-value is one of the types shown above.

An Integer is only allowed when it fits in 32-bit. A XML-RPC `dateTime.iso8601` type is always returned as a XMLRPC::DateTime object. Struct is never returned, only a Hash, the same for a Symbol, where as a String is always returned. XMLRPC::Base64 is returned as a String from xmlrpc4r version 1.6.1 on.

If the remote procedure returned a fault-structure, then a XMLRPC::FaultException exception is raised, which has two accessor-methods `faultCode` an Integer, and `faultString` a String.

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 267
    def call(method, *args)
      ok, param = call2(method, *args)
      if ok
        param
      else
        raise param
      end
    end

call2(method, *args) click to toggle source

The difference between this method and #call is, that this method will NOT raise a XMLRPC::FaultException exception.

The method returns an array of two values. The first value indicates if the second value is `true` or an XMLRPC::FaultException.

Both are explained in #call.

Simple to remember: The “2” in “call2” denotes the number of values it returns.

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 285
    def call2(method, *args)
      request = create().methodCall(method, *args)
      data = do_rpc(request, false)
      parser().parseMethodResponse(data)
    end

call2_async(method, *args) click to toggle source

Same as #call2, but can be called concurrently.

See also #call_async

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 319
    def call2_async(method, *args)
      request = create().methodCall(method, *args)
      data = do_rpc(request, true)
      parser().parseMethodResponse(data)
    end

call_async(method, *args) click to toggle source

Similar to #call, however can be called concurrently and use a new connection for each request. In contrast to the corresponding method without the `_async` suffix, which use connect-alive (one connection for all requests).

Note, that you have to use Thread to call these methods concurrently. The following example calls two methods concurrently:

    Thread.new {
      p client.call_async("michael.add", 4, 5)
    }

    Thread.new {
      p client.call_async("michael.div", 7, 9)
    }

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 307
    def call_async(method, *args)
      ok, param = call2_async(method, *args)
      if ok
        param
      else
        raise param
      end
    end

multicall(*methods) click to toggle source

You can use this method to execute several methods on a XMLRPC server which support the multi-call extension.

    s.multicall(
      ['michael.add', 3, 4],
      ['michael.sub', 4, 5]
    )
    # => [7, -1]

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 334
    def multicall(*methods)
      ok, params = multicall2(*methods)
      if ok
        params
      else
        raise params
      end
    end

multicall2(*methods) click to toggle source

Same as #multicall, but returns two parameters instead of raising an XMLRPC::FaultException.

See #call2

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 347
    def multicall2(*methods)
      gen_multicall(methods, false)
    end

multicall2_async(*methods) click to toggle source

Same as #multicall2, but can be called concurrently.

See also #multicall_async

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 379
    def multicall2_async(*methods)
      gen_multicall(methods, true)
    end

multicall_async(*methods) click to toggle source

Similar to #multicall, however can be called concurrently and use a new connection for each request. In contrast to the corresponding method without the `_async` suffix, which use connect-alive (one connection for all requests).

Note, that you have to use Thread to call these methods concurrently. The following example calls two methods concurrently:

    Thread.new {
      p client.multicall_async("michael.add", 4, 5)
    }

    Thread.new {
      p client.multicall_async("michael.div", 7, 9)
    }

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 367
    def multicall_async(*methods)
      ok, params = multicall2_async(*methods)
      if ok
        params
      else
        raise params
      end
    end

password=(new_password) click to toggle source

Changes the password for the Basic Authentication header to `new_password`

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 226
    def password=(new_password)
      @password = new_password
      set_auth
    end

proxy(prefix=nil, *args) click to toggle source

Returns an object of class XMLRPC::Client::Proxy, initialized with `prefix` and `args`.

A proxy object returned by this method behaves like #call, i.e. a call on that object will raise a XMLRPC::FaultException when a fault-structure is returned by that call.

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 390
    def proxy(prefix=nil, *args)
      Proxy.new(self, prefix, args, :call)
    end

proxy2(prefix=nil, *args) click to toggle source

Almost the same like #proxy only that a call on the returned XMLRPC::Client::Proxy object will return two parameters.

See #call2

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 398
    def proxy2(prefix=nil, *args)
      Proxy.new(self, prefix, args, :call2)
    end

proxy2_async(prefix=nil, *args) click to toggle source

Same as #proxy2, but can be called concurrently.

See also #proxy_async

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 425
    def proxy2_async(prefix=nil, *args)
      Proxy.new(self, prefix, args, :call2_async)
    end

proxy_async(prefix=nil, *args) click to toggle source

Similar to #proxy, however can be called concurrently and use a new connection for each request. In contrast to the corresponding method without the `_async` suffix, which use connect-alive (one connection for all requests).

Note, that you have to use Thread to call these methods concurrently. The following example calls two methods concurrently:

    Thread.new {
      p client.proxy_async("michael.add", 4, 5)
    }

    Thread.new {
      p client.proxy_async("michael.div", 7, 9)
    }

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 418
    def proxy_async(prefix=nil, *args)
      Proxy.new(self, prefix, args, :call_async)
    end

timeout=(new_timeout) click to toggle source

Sets the Net::HTTP#read_timeout and Net::HTTP#open_timeout to `new_timeout`

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 212
    def timeout=(new_timeout)
      @timeout = new_timeout
      @http.read_timeout = @timeout
      @http.open_timeout = @timeout
    end

user=(new_user) click to toggle source

Changes the user for the Basic Authentication header to `new_user`

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 219
    def user=(new_user)
      @user = new_user
      set_auth
    end

### Private Instance Methods

do_rpc(request, async=false) click to toggle source

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 464
    def do_rpc(request, async=false)
      header = {
       "User-Agent"     =>  USER_AGENT,
       "Content-Type"   => "text/xml; charset=utf-8",
       "Content-Length" => request.bytesize.to_s,
       "Connection"     => (async ? "close" : "keep-alive")
      }

      header["Cookie"] = @cookie        if @cookie
      header.update(@http_header_extra) if @http_header_extra

      if @auth != nil
        # add authorization header
        header["Authorization"] = @auth
      end

      resp = nil
      @http_last_response = nil

      if async
        # use a new HTTP object for each call
        http = dup_net_http

        # post request
        http.start {
          resp = http.request_post(@path, request, header)
        }
      else
        # reuse the HTTP object for each call => connection alive is possible
        # we must start connection explicitly first time so that http.request
        # does not assume that we don't want keepalive
        @http.start if not @http.started?

        # post request
        resp = @http.request_post(@path, request, header)
      end

      @http_last_response = resp

      data = resp.body

      if resp.code == "401"
        # Authorization Required
        raise "Authorization failed.\nHTTP-Error: #{resp.code} #{resp.message}"
      elsif resp.code[0,1] != "2"
        raise "HTTP-Error: #{resp.code} #{resp.message}"
      end

      # assume text/xml on instances where Content-Type header is not set
      ct_expected = resp["Content-Type"] || 'text/xml'
      ct = parse_content_type(ct_expected).first
      if ct != "text/xml"
        if ct == "text/html"
          raise "Wrong content-type (received '#{ct}' but expected 'text/xml'): \n#{data}"
        else
          raise "Wrong content-type (received '#{ct}' but expected 'text/xml')"
        end
      end

      expected = resp["Content-Length"] || "<unknown>"
      if data.nil? or data.bytesize == 0
        raise "Wrong size. Was #{data.bytesize}, should be #{expected}"
      end

      parse_set_cookies(resp.get_fields("Set-Cookie"))

      return data
    end

dup_net_http() click to toggle source

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 436
    def dup_net_http
      http = net_http(@http.address,
                      @http.port,
                      @http.proxy_address,
                      @http.proxy_port)
      http.proxy_user = @http.proxy_user
      http.proxy_pass = @http.proxy_pass
      if @http.use_ssl?
        http.use_ssl = true
        Net::HTTP::SSL_ATTRIBUTES.each do |attribute|
          http.__send__("#{attribute}=", @http.__send__(attribute))
        end
      end
      http.read_timeout = @http.read_timeout
      http.open_timeout = @http.open_timeout
      http
    end

gen_multicall(methods=[], async=false) click to toggle source

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 549
    def gen_multicall(methods=[], async=false)
      meth = :call2
      meth = :call2_async if async

      ok, params = self.send(meth, "system.multicall",
        methods.collect {|m| {'methodName' => m[0], 'params' => m[1..-1]} }
      )

      if ok
        params = params.collect do |param|
          if param.is_a? Array
            param[0]
          elsif param.is_a? Hash
            XMLRPC::FaultException.new(param["faultCode"], param["faultString"])
          else
            raise "Wrong multicall return value"
          end
        end
      end

      return ok, params
    end

net_http(host, port, proxy_host, proxy_port) click to toggle source

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 432
    def net_http(host, port, proxy_host, proxy_port)
      Net::HTTP.new host, port, proxy_host, proxy_port
    end

parse_set_cookies(set_cookies) click to toggle source

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 533
    def parse_set_cookies(set_cookies)
      return if set_cookies.nil?
      return if set_cookies.empty?
      require 'webrick/cookie'
      pairs = {}
      set_cookies.each do |set_cookie|
        cookie = WEBrick::Cookie.parse_set_cookie(set_cookie)
        pairs.delete(cookie.name)
        pairs[cookie.name] = cookie.value
      end
      cookies = pairs.collect do |name, value|
        WEBrick::Cookie.new(name, value).to_s
      end
      @cookie = cookies.join("; ")
    end

set_auth() click to toggle source

    # File lib/xmlrpc/client.rb, line 454
    def set_auth
      if @user.nil?
        @auth = nil
      else
        a =  "#@user"
        a << ":#@password" if @password != nil
        @auth = "Basic " + [a].pack("m0")
      end
    end