MessageHeaderAttribute.MustUnderstand Property

Definition

Namespace:

System.ServiceModel

Assembly:

System.ServiceModel.Primitives.dll

Package:

System.ServiceModel.Primitives v8.0.0

Source:

MessageHeaderAttribute.cs

Specifies whether the node acting in the Actor role must understand this header. This is mapped to the mustUnderstand SOAP header attribute.

public:
 property bool MustUnderstand { bool get(); void set(bool value); };

public bool MustUnderstand { get; set; }

member this.MustUnderstand : bool with get, set

Public Property MustUnderstand As Boolean

Property Value

Boolean

true if the node acting in the Actor role must understand this header; otherwise, false.

Examples

The following code example shows the use of the MessageHeaderAttribute to create a SOAP header for the response message with the Name, Namespace and MustUnderstand properties set to values appropriate for this header. The code example is followed by an example of the message when sent.

 [MessageContract]
 public class HelloResponseMessage
 {
   private string localResponse = String.Empty;
   private string extra = String.Empty;

   [MessageBodyMember(
     Name = "ResponseToGreeting",
     Namespace = "http://www.examples.com")]
   public string Response
   {
     get { return localResponse; }
     set { localResponse = value; }
   }

   [MessageHeader(
     Name = "OutOfBandData",
     Namespace = "http://www.examples.com",
     MustUnderstand=true
   )]
   public string ExtraValues
   {
     get { return extra; }
     set { this.extra = value; }
  }

  /*
   The following is the response message, edited for clarity.

   <s:Envelope>
     <s:Header>
       <a:Action s:mustUnderstand="1">http://HelloResponseMessage/Action</a:Action>
       <h:OutOfBandData s:mustUnderstand="1" xmlns:h="http://www.examples.com">Served by object 13804354.</h:OutOfBandData>
     </s:Header>
     <s:Body>
       <HelloResponseMessage xmlns="Microsoft.WCF.Documentation">
         <ResponseToGreeting xmlns="http://www.examples.com">Service received: Hello.</ResponseToGreeting>
       </HelloResponseMessage>
     </s:Body>
   </s:Envelope>
   */
}

  <MessageContract> _
  Public Class HelloResponseMessage
    Private localResponse As String = String.Empty
    Private extra As String = String.Empty

    <MessageBodyMember(Name := "ResponseToGreeting", Namespace := "http://www.examples.com")> _
    Public Property Response() As String
      Get
          Return localResponse
      End Get
      Set(ByVal value As String)
          localResponse = value
      End Set
    End Property

    <MessageHeader(Name := "OutOfBandData", Namespace := "http://www.examples.com", MustUnderstand:=True)> _
    Public Property ExtraValues() As String
      Get
          Return extra
      End Get
      Set(ByVal value As String)
          Me.extra = value
      End Set
    End Property

'   
'    The following is the response message, edited for clarity.
'    
'    <s:Envelope>
'      <s:Header>
'        <a:Action s:mustUnderstand="1">http://HelloResponseMessage/Action</a:Action>
'        <h:OutOfBandData s:mustUnderstand="1" xmlns:h="http://www.examples.com">Served by object 13804354.</h:OutOfBandData>
'      </s:Header>
'      <s:Body>
'        <HelloResponseMessage xmlns="Microsoft.WCF.Documentation">
'          <ResponseToGreeting xmlns="http://www.examples.com">Service received: Hello.</ResponseToGreeting>
'      </s:Body>    
'    </s:Envelope>
'    
  End Class

Remarks

For more information, see the Remarks section of MessageHeaderAttribute for details.

Important

It is important to remember that if the MustUnderstand property is true in a message being sent and the application on the receiving side does not understand the header a fault is generated. Conversely, if a header with the mustUnderstand SOAP header attribute set to true is received by Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), it must be a part of the message contract (or must be processed by one of the Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) channels); otherwise, it is assumed that the header is not understood and an exception is thrown.