SOA Suite 12c: Testing SOA composite services from JDeveloper using HTTP Analyzer

In JDeveloper 12c, it is very simple to test the web services (SOAP and REST) exposed by SOA composites from the comfort of your own IDE. Using a simple right mouse click on the composite’s service interface (in the Application Server overview window), we can start the HTTP Analyzer for the service – with the right endpoint set, the WSDL (or WADL) loaded and the request message entry form ready to be filled in.

For example the following SOA composite application:

after we deploy it, it exposes a single service with a single operation process. Assume deployment to the Integrated WebLogic Server. Bring up the Application Servers window (Windows | Application Servers):

And browse for the deployed composite – under the application server connection for Integrated WebLogicServer | SOA | DefaultServer | <name of partition>. Expand the node for the composite. Right click on the service to be tested. From the context menu, select Test Web Service:

The HTTP Analyzer will open, with all relevant details set:

All we have to do is provide the request message – either in the form or in the XML view

In this way, testing a service right after deployment becomes much easier and does not require us to switch to Soap UI or Enterprise Manager FMW Control.

What we cannot [yet] do in SOA composites – unlike Service Bus – is simply right click a component and select Run or Debug from the context menu…