BUG: "Unable to import binding" error message when you try to create an XML Web service proxy for the .NET Framework remoting service that contains Char data type members or Guid data type members (831689)

SYMPTOMS

When you run the Web Services Description Language tool (Wsdl.exe) in Microsoft Visual Studio .NET to create an XML Web service proxy for the .NET Framework remoting service that contains either a Char data type member or a Guid data type member, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following error message:

Error: Unable to import binding 'MyRemoteObjectBinding' from namespace 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/clr/nsassem/ConsoleApplication1/ConsoleApplication1%2C%20Version%3D1.0.1510.36520%2C%20Culture%3Dneutral%2C%20PublicKeyToken%3Dnull'.
- Unable to import operation 'setValue'.
- The datatype 'Char' is missing.

Note The following information pertains to the previous error message:

In the error message, MyRemoteObject is a placeholder for the class name of the .NET Framework remoting service.
The error message corresponds to the .NET Framework remoting service that contains a Char data type member. If the .NET Framework remoting service contains a Guid data type, the error message will contain the following information:

- The datatype 'Guid' is missing.
In the error message, the word "datatype" is a misspelling for the words "data type."

CAUSE

The common language runtime supports the Char data type and the Guid data type. The Web Services Description Language (WSDL) does not implicitly support these data types. The WSDL code for the .NET Framework remoting service only references these data types from the predefined http://schemas.microsoft.com/clr/ns/System namespace. However, the WSDL code does not contain the definitions that are included in the http://schemas.microsoft.com/clr/ns/System namespace, and the WSDL code does not import the http://schemas.microsoft.com/clr/ns/System namespace. Therefore, because the WSDL code contains references to a Char data type value or to a Guid data type value, the problem that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section occurs.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to reproduce the problem

Start Visual Studio .NET.
Use Microsoft Visual Basic .NET to create a Console Application project.

By default, the Module1.vb file is created.
On the Project menu, click Add Reference.

The Add Reference dialog box appears.
On the .NET tab, click System.Runtime.Remoting under Component Name.
Click Select, and then click OK.

Replace the existing code in the Module1.vb file with the following code:

Option Explicit On 
Option Strict On

Imports System
Imports System.Runtime.Remoting
Imports System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Http
Imports System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels
Imports System.Threading

Class MyRemoteObject
   Inherits MarshalByRefObject

   Private myvalue As Guid

   Public Sub New()
      Console.WriteLine("MyRemoteObject.Constructor: New Object created")
   End Sub

   Public Sub setValue(ByVal newval As Guid)
      Console.WriteLine("MyRemoteObject.setValue(): old {0} new {1}", myvalue, newval)
      myvalue = newval
      Console.WriteLine("MyRemoteObject.setValue() -> value is now set")
   End Sub

   Public Function getValue() As Guid
      Console.WriteLine("MyRemoteObject.getValue(): current {0}", myvalue)
      Return myvalue
   End Function

End Class

Module Module1

   Sub Main()
      Console.WriteLine("Module1.Main(): Server started")

      Dim chnl As New HttpChannel(1234)
      ChannelServices.RegisterChannel(chnl)

      RemotingConfiguration.RegisterWellKnownServiceType( _
          GetType(MyRemoteObject), "MyRemoteObject.soap", _
          WellKnownObjectMode.Singleton)

      ' The server keeps running until you press ENTER.
      Console.ReadLine()

   End Sub

End Module

On the File menu, click Save All.
On the Build menu, click Build Solution to build your application.
On the Debug menu, click Start to run your application.

A Console window appears and displays the following message:

Module1.Main(): Server started
At a Visual Studio .NET command prompt, run the following command to try to create an XML Web service proxy for the .NET Framework remoting service:
wsdl http://localhost:1234/MyRemoteObject.soap?wsdl
The behavior that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section occurs.

REFERENCES

For additional information about creating an XML Web service proxy, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/cpguide/html/cpconCreatingWebServiceProxy.asp

For additional information about the .NET Framework remoting service, visit the following MSDN Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/cpguide/html/cpconnetremotingoverview.asp

For additional information about the Web Services Description Language tool (Wsdl.exe), visit the following MSDN Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/cptools/html/cpgrfWebServicesDescriptionLanguageToolWsdlexe.asp

For additional information about WSDL with .NET attribution, visit the following MSDN Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnwebsrv/html/insidewsdl.asp

For additional information about how to understand WSDL, visit the following MSDN Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnwebsrv/html/understandWSDL.asp

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

301112 HOW TO: Marshal an object to a remote server by reference by using Visual Basic .NET