#pragma section-numbers off
= XML-RPC =

XML-RPC is a neat way to send messages across the Internet.

The neat thing about XML-RPC is that it transports ''native data structures''- you can ship off lists, strings, dictionaries, and numbers.

You can [[Wiki:XmlRpc|read more about it over on C2,]] or on [[http://www.xmlrpc.com/|the XML-RPC home page.]]

== Sample Code ==
{{{
#!python
import xmlrpclib

XMLRPC_SERVER_URL = "http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/moinmoin/?action=xmlrpc"

pythoninfo = xmlrpclib.ServerProxy( XMLRPC_SERVER_URL )
allpages = pythoninfo.getAllPages() # this is the XML-RPC call

print ", ".join( allpages )
}}}

This code calls the PythonInfo wiki, and receives the TitleIndex as a list.

== Message Format ==

If you can communicate strings, you can do XML-RPC. You could even do it by e-mail!

Here's how to make your string:

{{{
#!python
import xmlrpclib

func_name = "foo"
arg_1 = "robot"
arg_2 = { "some":1, "dict":2 }
arg_3 = [1,2,3,4,5]

call_string = xmlrpclib.dumps( (arg_1,arg_2,arg_3,), func_name )
}}}

...resulting in the following {{{call_string}}} value:

{{{
<?xml version='1.0'?>
<methodCall>
<methodName>foo</methodName>
<params>
<param>
<value><string>robot</string></value>
</param>
<param>
<value><struct>
<member>
<name>dict</name>
<value><int>2</int></value>
</member>
<member>
<name>some</name>
<value><int>1</int></value>
</member>
</struct></value>
</param>
<param>
<value><array><data>
<value><int>1</int></value>
<value><int>2</int></value>
<value><int>3</int></value>
<value><int>4</int></value>
<value><int>5</int></value>
</data></array></value>
</param>
</params>
</methodCall>
}}}

...which can then be turned ''back'' into Python data:

{{{
#!python
call_data = xmlrpclib.loads( call_string )
}}}

...which then builds:

{{{
(('robot', {'some': 1, 'dict': 2}, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]), u'foo')
}}}

That is, the first item is the arguments tuple, and the second item is the name of the function.

The capabilities are described under "Convenience Functions" in [[http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xmlrpclib.html|the xmlrpclib documentation.]]

== See Also ==

 * [[http://docs.python.org/lib/xmlrpc-client-example.html|official xmlrpclib example]]
 * [[https://docs.python.org/2/library/xmlrpclib.html|xmlrpclib documentation]]
 * [[http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/python/2001/01/17/xmlrpcserver.html|XML-RPC: It Works Both Ways (onlamp.com)]]
 * DocXmlRpcServer - class to help make an XML-RPC server
 * [[http://effbot.org/zone/xmlrpc-cgi.htm|Providing XML-RPC Services via CGI]]