Authoring Step 8: Define the LineItem External ContentType

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010

In this step, you will define an external content type named LineItem. The LineItem external content type demonstrates that you can have associations of type A->B->C; here, Customer and Region -> Order -> LineItem. The GetLineItemsForOrder method is the association method. Another concept we demonstrate is an external content type with multiple identifiers (a composite key): OrderID and ProductID.

Prerequisites

Authoring Step 7: Define the Order External ContentType

To define the LineItem external content type

• Add the XML for the LineItem external contenttype after the Order entity element. This XML defines the entity’s title, identifiers, and methods to return LineItems.

  <Entity Namespace="SampleWebService" Version="1.0.0.0" 
          EstimatedInstanceCount="10000" Name="WSLineItem" 
          DefaultDisplayName="WSLineItem">
    <Identifiers>
      <Identifier TypeName="System.String" Name="OrderID" />
      <Identifier TypeName="System.String" Name="ProductID" />
    </Identifiers>
    <Methods>
      <Method IsStatic="false" Name="GetLineItemByID">
        <Parameters>
          <Parameter Direction="In" Name="ordid">
            <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String" 
                            IdentifierName="OrderID" Name="ordid" 
                            DefaultDisplayName="OrderID" />
          </Parameter>
          <Parameter Direction="In" Name="prodid">
            <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String" 
                            IdentifierName="ProductID" Name="prodid" 
                            DefaultDisplayName="ProductID" />
          </Parameter>
          <Parameter Direction="Return" Name="GetLineItemByID">
            <TypeDescriptor TypeName="BCSServiceProxy.LineItem, 
                            http://air-mail/WSOrders2010/service.asmx?wsdl" 
                            Name="GetLineItemByID">
              <TypeDescriptors>
                <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String" ReadOnly="true" 
                                IdentifierName="OrderID" Name="OrderID" />
                <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String" ReadOnly="true" 
                                IdentifierName="ProductID" Name="ProductID" />
                <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String" Name="ProductName" />
                <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Int32" Name="OrderQty" />
                <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Decimal" Name="UnitPrice">
                  <Properties>
                    <Property Name="Decimal Digits" 
                              Type="System.Int32">4</Property>
                  </Properties>
                </TypeDescriptor>
                <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Decimal" Name="LineTotal">
                  <Properties>
                    <Property Name="Decimal Digits" 
                              Type="System.Int32">4</Property>
                  </Properties>
                </TypeDescriptor>
              </TypeDescriptors>
            </TypeDescriptor>
          </Parameter>
        </Parameters>
        <MethodInstances>
          <MethodInstance Type="SpecificFinder" 
                          ReturnParameterName="GetLineItemByID" Default="true" 
                          Name="GetLineItemByID" 
                          DefaultDisplayName="Read Item WSLineItem">
            <Properties>
              <Property Name="LastDesignedOfficeItemType" 
                        Type="System.String">None</Property>
            </Properties>
          </MethodInstance>
        </MethodInstances>
      </Method>
      <Method IsStatic="false" Name="GetLineItems">
        <Parameters>
          <Parameter Direction="Return" Name="GetLineItems">
            <TypeDescriptor TypeName="BCSServiceProxy.LineItem[], 
                            http://air-mail/WSOrders2010/service.asmx?wsdl" 
                            IsCollection="true" Name="GetLineItems">
              <TypeDescriptors>
                <TypeDescriptor TypeName="BCSServiceProxy.LineItem, 
                                http://air-mail/WSOrders2010/service.asmx?wsdl" 
                                Name="GetLineItemsElement">
                  <TypeDescriptors>
                    <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String" ReadOnly="true" 
                                    IdentifierName="OrderID" Name="OrderID" />
                    <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String" ReadOnly="true" 
                                    IdentifierName="ProductID" Name="ProductID" />
                    <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String" Name="ProductName">
                      <Properties>
                        <Property Name="ShowInPicker" 
                                  Type="System.Boolean">true</Property>
                      </Properties>
                    </TypeDescriptor>
                    <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Int32" Name="OrderQty" />
                    <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Decimal" Name="UnitPrice">
                      <Properties>
                        <Property Name="Decimal Digits" 
                                  Type="System.Int32">4</Property>
                      </Properties>
                    </TypeDescriptor>
                    <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Decimal" Name="LineTotal">
                      <Properties>
                        <Property Name="Decimal Digits" 
                                  Type="System.Int32">4</Property>
                      </Properties>
                    </TypeDescriptor>
                  </TypeDescriptors>
                </TypeDescriptor>
              </TypeDescriptors>
            </TypeDescriptor>
          </Parameter>
        </Parameters>
        <MethodInstances>
          <MethodInstance Type="Finder" ReturnParameterName="GetLineItems" 
                          Default="true" Name="GetLineItems" 
                          DefaultDisplayName="WSLineItem Read List">
            <Properties>
              <Property Name="UseClientCachingForSearch" 
                        Type="System.String"></Property>
              <Property Name="RootFinder" Type="System.String"></Property>
            </Properties>
          </MethodInstance>
        </MethodInstances>
      </Method>
    </Methods>
  </Entity>