ASMX "documentation mode" can no longer invoke operations with parameters

Question

ASMX "documentation mode" can no longer invoke operations with parameters

Jason Baginski 101

I have a web service that was created back in 2002 that sits hitting on a site that we've always used to run random things. For example, I have a operation that I pass in a local filename for importing a csv file for importing new products. I haven't run it in a little over a month, but today when I got a new file I tried running and every time I hit the invoke button I get

System.InvalidOperationException: Request format is invalid: .  
   at System.Web.Services.Protocols.HttpServerProtocol.ReadParameters()  
   at System.Web.Services.Protocols.WebServiceHandler.CoreProcessRequest()

I check the modified date of the asmx file and it hasn't been changed in 3 years. There's been several other changes to code elsewhere in the solution, so I assume something is broken there. I jump over to another project that doesn't have a modified date in newer than a year back and add

[WebMethod()]  
    public string HelloWorld()  
    {  
        return "Hello!";  
    }  
    [WebMethod()]  
    public string HelloWorldWithParam(string name)  
    {  
        return "Hello " + name;  
    }

If I invoke HelloWorld, I get the expected "Hello!" back. If I invoke HelloWorldWithParam, I get the same error. Note, in case you aren't sure what I mean by "Documentation" mode is, this might spark some memories.

This issue is only when parameters are being used on the Documentation mode. If I slap on a [ScriptMethod(UseHttpGet=true)] and call via http://localhost:57067/test.asmx/HelloWorldWithParam?name=Jason I get the proper <string xmlns="http://www.lenstock.com/app">Hello Jason</string> back. Same if I write some code to connect to the web service.

Did something happen in the recent .NET security updates or Visual Studio updates? How can I get the functionality back? It's going to be really annoying to have to move all of this stuff out elsewhere when we have all this documentation on how to do different things that we've been doing for two decades now.

Lan Huang-MSFT 30,186 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-07-08T07:16:10.947+00:00
Hi @Jason Baginski ,

If I invoke HelloWorldWithParam, I get the same error.

How are you calling the parameters? Did you execute the invoke button in the screenshot and report an error?
Maybe you can try disabling the document protocol and see if it still throws the error.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/developer/webapps/aspnet/iisadmin-service-process/disable-documentation-protocol

<webServices> <protocols> <remove name="Documentation"/> </protocols> </webServices>

I tried your code without error, have you configured other settings?

Best regards,
Lan Huang
Jason Baginski 101 Reputation points

2022-07-08T10:46:09.33+00:00

I don't understand your suggestion to <remove name="Documentation"/> because that gives a "Request format is unrecognized." when trying to go to the page. As mentioned in the original post, I can call the operations with params through scripts or query parameters. It's the documentation page that I can't use params with.

"have you configured other settings?" is kind of a loaded question when, as mentioned originally, this code base was started in 2002... As, again, mentioned in the original post, I tried adding these same two functions to a code base that I hadn't touched in over a year and it does the same thing. So there's something wrong on my system rather than a code change I made.
Lan Huang-MSFT 30,186 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-07-11T09:05:40.237+00:00

Hi @Jason Baginski ,

I don't understand your suggestion to <remove name="Documentation"/> because that gives a "Request format is unrecognized."

Since I didn't know your test method at first, if it's client-side testing, this line of code might be the cause of the error.

I can't reproduce your problem so it's hard to help, can you provide the code for the Web.config ?
Best regards,
Lan Huang

1 answer

Your answer

Lan Huang-MSFT 30,186 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-07-08T07:16:10.947+00:00

Hi @Jason Baginski ,

If I invoke HelloWorldWithParam, I get the same error.

How are you calling the parameters? Did you execute the invoke button in the screenshot and report an error?
Maybe you can try disabling the document protocol and see if it still throws the error.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/developer/webapps/aspnet/iisadmin-service-process/disable-documentation-protocol

<webServices> <protocols> <remove name="Documentation"/> </protocols> </webServices>

I tried your code without error, have you configured other settings?

Best regards,
Lan Huang
Jason Baginski 101 Reputation points

2022-07-08T10:46:09.33+00:00

I don't understand your suggestion to <remove name="Documentation"/> because that gives a "Request format is unrecognized." when trying to go to the page. As mentioned in the original post, I can call the operations with params through scripts or query parameters. It's the documentation page that I can't use params with.

"have you configured other settings?" is kind of a loaded question when, as mentioned originally, this code base was started in 2002... As, again, mentioned in the original post, I tried adding these same two functions to a code base that I hadn't touched in over a year and it does the same thing. So there's something wrong on my system rather than a code change I made.
Lan Huang-MSFT 30,186 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-07-11T09:05:40.237+00:00

Hi @Jason Baginski ,

I don't understand your suggestion to <remove name="Documentation"/> because that gives a "Request format is unrecognized."

Since I didn't know your test method at first, if it's client-side testing, this line of code might be the cause of the error.

I can't reproduce your problem so it's hard to help, can you provide the code for the Web.config ?
Best regards,
Lan Huang

Answer 1

Jason Baginski 101

grumbles After replying, I had a hunch.

It works correctly in Firefox. This is an Edge problem, not a VS/.NET problem.

I thought I'd load up developer tools to try and figure out what was going wrong and it gets even more crazy. If I do a reload on the results, it gives me the results.

Sending feedback on Edge.

Jason Baginski 101 Reputation points

2022-07-11T18:06:18.673+00:00

Edge 105.0.1318.0 was just released and is still broken. Sent more feedback in.

Edge 103.0.1264.49 works properly
Chrome 103.0.5060.114 works properly
Firefox 102.0.1 works properly
Firefox 104.0a1 works properly
Albert Kallal 5,586 Reputation points

2022-07-11T21:42:58.417+00:00

You could try delete the browser cache - even cookies etc. I seen some js code stick in the browser - and along with having friendly URL's turned on I was having issues. Only until I changed browsers, did things work.
Then I cleared by browser cache - and my main browser (Edge with chrome engine), and it all now works.
Try the clear of the browser cache, cookies and even history. -- it worked for me.
Jason Baginski 101 Reputation points

2022-07-11T21:46:23.53+00:00

The issue is Edge Canary sending garbage over, not anything that's cached. I'll continue to report it to Edge engineers so hopefully it doesn't make it into non-canary releases.

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ASMX "documentation mode" can no longer invoke operations with parameters

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