Connecting to web services (XAML)
[This article is for Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x developers writing Windows Runtime apps. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation]
Purpose
These topics demonstrate a variety of ways to connect your app to a web service. The default choice is to use Windows.Web.Http.HttpClient, a new Windows Runtime class which is available for all languages. Apps that use C++ and XAML can also use the C++ REST SDK to create reusable code that will run in desktop applications or apps on downlevel editions of Windows as well as Linux. C++ apps that only target Windows 8, and desktop applications that target Windows 8 and later, can also use the IXMLHttpRequest2 COM interface.
The following table summarizes which API is supported on which platform (* = not recommended for apps).
| API | Languages | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| C#, Visual Basic, C++ | Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Phone 8.1 | |
| C#, Visual Basic | Windows 8.1*, Windows Server 2012 R2*, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2008 SP 2, Windows Vista SP 2 | |
| XML HTTP Extended Request (IXMLHttpRequest2) | C++ | Windows 8.1*, Windows Server 2012 R2*,Windows 8, Windows Server 2012 |
| C++ | Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7 SP 1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2008 SP 2, Windows Vista SP 2, Linux |
In this section
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
Send a GET request to a web service and retrieve the response using the Windows.Web.Http.HttpClient class in the Windows.Web.Http namespace. |
|
Use XML HTTP Extended Request and the IXMLHTTPRequest2 interface to send HTTP GET and POST requests to a web service using C++ in a Windows Runtime app. |
|
How to connect to Bing Maps using Windows::Web::Http:HttpClient |
Connect to Bing Maps using the Windows::Web::Http::HttpClient class in the Windows::Web::Http::HttpClient namespace. |
Use the C++ REST SDK to connect to Bing Maps using C++ in a Windows Store app. |
|
Connecting to an HTTP server using System.Net.Http.HttpClient |
Use System.Net.Http.HttpClient to connect to a web service using C# or Visual Basic in a Windows Store app. |
Developer audience
Developers using VB/C#/C++ and XAML interested in creating Windows Runtime apps that connect to a web service.
The following information applies to Windows Runtime apps written in C++/XAML and apps using the .NET Framework 4.5 in C# or Visual Basic.
For more information on how to connect to a web service for Windows Runtime apps written in JavaScript and HTML, see Connecting to a web service Windows Runtime app using JavaScript.
Related topics
Other resources
Connecting to web services Windows Runtime app using JavaScript
How to configure network capabilities
How to set background connectivity options
Troubleshoot and debug network connections
Reference
XML HTTP Extended Request (IXMLHttpRequest2)
Samples
ControlChannelTrigger HttpClient sample