Unable to use HTTP API from inside a web service

[mbutler755]

I have built a web service using VB.NET and the thing is rock-solid on my IIS server. Recently, I signed up for Click-a-tell (SMS Messaging service) and they have an API where I can send messages via HTTP. I'm can kick this off without issue in a Windows Forms environment, but from within the web service it isn't working.

Does anybody know how I can kick off an HTTP call from inside of a web service. Ideally, I would like to make the call and then if a browser window must open to do so - close it automatically.

Here's my added code to my web service:

If variance <> 0 Then
            Try
                Dim ut As New SveDsTableAdapters.UserTextingTableAdapter
                For Each row As DataRow In ut.GetPhonesToTextByCompanyId(CompanyId).Rows
                    'MsgBox(row.Item("PhoneToText").ToString())
                    Process.Start("http://api.clickatell.com/http/sendmsg?user=xxxxxxx&password=xxxxxxxxxxxx&api_id=xxxxxxxxxxxx&to=" & row.Item("PhoneToText").ToString() & "&text=Variance of " & variance.ToString & " found at Store " & StoreId.ToString & "&mo=1&from=1xxxxxx713")
                Next
 
            Catch ex As Exception
 
            End Try
        End If

[techgnome]

That's not how you should be invoking it. there's no reason to launch a browser... where would it display anyways? It's not like you're logged in... anyways... you should be using an HTTPWebRequest...

-tg

[mbutler755]

I have always used the process.start in the past and it didn't occur to me that it wouldn't work in a webservice. It's one of those facepalm moments.

I set it up as you recommended using an HTTP Web Request and it's working beautifully. Thank you so much for your help.