Combining WCF Service Library and WCF Service Application

Question

Thanks to Stack Overflow and a few other sites, I understand the difference between the WCF LIbrary and WCF Service Application templates.

Briefly the Library is a DLL that allows for multiple types of hosting. It does not have a .svc file. While the Service Applications template is created specifically with IIS in mine with a .svc file.

I read that WCF Service Library is the best way because it is the most flexible. But I NEVER see instructions on how to do it apart from using the WCF Service Application template.

Is it difficult to go from WCF Service Library to hosting on IIS from scratch? I have two books on WCF and I've read numerous articles and none of them cover how to create a svc file using only the WCF Service Library and No WCF Service Application. Why?

Nigel Shaw also mentions on the following link that there are limitations to using the Library option. What is the purpose of WCF Service Library?

Basically What I want to do is host the WCF Service on both IIS and a Windows Service. Thus it appears that the combined way is the best way. Nevertheless, I'm trying to learn why there aren't more instructions on using the WCF Service Library.

Ok, I did find a couple of articles that seem to use an ASP.NET Web Application and tells you how to create a text file for the svc file.

This article: http://debugmode.net/2010/12/25/wcf-service-library-creating-hosting-and-consuming-wcf-service-with-wcf-service-library-project-template/

and this one: http://danielvanwyk.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/create-host-and-consume-a-wcf-service-using-the-wcf-service-library-template-in-visual-studio-2008/

But what I still don't understand is why is the ASP.NET Application still needed? And If i add a svc file does it get placed in the wwwroot directory (that seems to be where the WCF Service Application places it .svc file?

Thanks!

Answer 1

A WCF Service Library has to be hosted in order to be used - you can host it in IIS, a Windows Service or some self-hosted option (like a console app, WinForm, WPF, etc).

In the last two links you provide, they're demonstrating how to host the library in an ASP.NET service application, but you don't have to use that project template to host it. It's simply one option out of several.

You can create an IIS-hosted implementation of your class library without using a VS project template, but you'll need to manually add the .svc file and the Web.config. I have done this several times:

1. Create a folder (I normally put mine in the wwwroot folder of inetpub, but you can put it wherever you desire).
2. Create a bin folder in the folder you created in step 1, and put the WCF service library and any other required assemblies in it.
3. Add a .svc file with the appropriate markup in the folder created in step 1.
4. Add a Web.config with the appropriate service model configuration in the folder created in step 1.
5. Create an application in IIS that points to the folder you created.

Now you have an IIS-hosted instance of your service. You can then use another copy of the WCF service library for your Windows-Service hosted instance.