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Language: .NET
Expertise: Beginner

Feb 9, 2004

The .NET Framework generates a service help page when accessing the asmx page for a Web service. This page lists the Web methods exposed by the Web service, but doesn't list these methods in the order they appear in the source code. This tip describes a minor modification which keeps Web methods in source code sequence.

The service help page is generated by DefaultWsdlHelpGenerator.aspx in

\%WINDOWS%
  \Microsoft.NET
    \Framework
      \[version]
        \CONFIG

DefaultWsdlHelpGenerator.aspx uses a Hashtable to store the Web methods. Replace the Hashtable with a ListDictionary (in the System.Collections.Specialized namespace) as follows:

1. Open DefaultWsdlHelpGenerator.aspx
2. Search for 'Hashtable methodsTable' in the line which reads

   
   'Hashtable methodsTable = new Hashtable();'
   

3. Change both occurrences of 'Hashtable' to:

'System.Collections.Specialized.ListDictionary' so that the line reads 'System.Collections.Specialized.ListDictionary methodsTable = new System.Collections.Specialized.ListDictionary();'
4. Save the file.

Every service help page will now list Web methods in source code sequence.