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Configuration Properties

Creating WebData Objects

1. Navigate to Reports → WebData
2. Click Add button
3. Configure minimum requirements:
   • Name: Unique identifier
   • Encoding: Select format
4. Optional: Set DefaultURL and Authorization
5. Click OK

Authentication Methods

No Auth

No credentials sent:

Authorization: None

Bearer Token

Token-based authentication:

Authorization: Bearer <token>
Headers: {"Authorization": "Bearer {{Tag.APIToken}}"}

Basic Auth

Username/password authentication:

Authorization: Basic
Username: {{Tag.Username}}
Password: {{Tag.Password}}

Custom

Define custom authentication:

Headers: {
  "X-API-Key": "{{Tag.APIKey}}",
  "X-Client-ID": "{{Tag.ClientID}}"
}

Request Methods

GET Requests

Execute data retrieval:

csharp

// Async GET request
string response = await @Report.WebData.MyAPI.GetRequestAsync();

// Store in tag
@Tag.APIResponse = response;

// Access via DocumentClient
string data = @Report.WebData.MyAPI.DocumentClient;

POST Requests

Send data to API:

csharp

// Define body in WebData Editor
// Set response tag in headers
@Report.WebData.MyAPI.Headers["ResponseTag"] = "Tag.PostResult";

// Execute POST
await @Report.WebData.MyAPI.PostRequestAsync();

// Response stored in specified tag
string result = @Tag.PostResult;

WebData Editor

Define request structure and bind tags:

JSON Format

json

{
  "timestamp": "{{Info.Date}}",
  "values": {
    "temperature": {{Tag.TankFarm/Tank1/Temp}},
    "pressure": {{Tag.TankFarm/Tank1/Pressure}},
    "status": "{{Tag.Equipment/Status}}"
  }
}

XML Format

xml

<data>
  <timestamp>{{Info.Date}}</timestamp>
  <temperature>{{Tag.TankFarm/Tank1/Temp}}</temperature>
  <pressure>{{Tag.TankFarm/Tank1/Pressure}}</pressure>
</data>

Response Handling

Store Response Methods

Method 1: Direct Assignment

csharp

@Tag.JSONResponse = await @Report.WebData.API.GetRequestAsync();

Method 2: DocumentClient Property

csharp

await @Report.WebData.API.GetRequestAsync();
string data = @Report.WebData.API.DocumentClient;

Method 3: Tag Binding in Editor Map response fields to tags in WebData Editor

Headers Configuration

Common headers:

json

{
  "Content-Type": "application/json",
  "Accept": "application/json",
  "ResponseTag": "Tag.APIResult",
  "X-Request-ID": "{{Tag.RequestID}}"
}

File Operations

Save Response to File

csharp

// Configure SaveFileName
@Report.WebData.API.SaveFileName = @"C:\Data\response.json";

// Execute and save
await @Report.WebData.API.GetRequestAsync();
@Report.WebData.API.Save();

Dynamic File Names

C:\Data\API_{{Tag.Date}}_{{Tag.Time}}.json

Padding Options

Error Handling

csharp

try
{
    string response = await @Report.WebData.API.GetRequestAsync();
    
    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(response))
    {
        @Tag.Status = "Success";
        ProcessResponse(response);
    }
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    @Tag.ErrorMessage = ex.Message;
    @Tag.Status = "Failed";
}

Common Use Cases

Weather API Integration

csharp

@Report.WebData.Weather.DefaultURL = 
    "https://api.weather.com/v1/location/{{Tag.City}}";
    
string weather = await @Report.WebData.Weather.GetRequestAsync();

IoT Data Upload

csharp

// Configure POST body with sensor data
@Report.WebData.IoT.Headers["ResponseTag"] = "Tag.UploadStatus";
await @Report.WebData.IoT.PostRequestAsync();

Database Sync

csharp

// Get external data
string data = await @Report.WebData.External.GetRequestAsync();

// Parse and update local database
UpdateDatabase(data);

Best Practices Checklist 

•  Validate URLs - Check endpoints before deployment
•  Secure credentials - Use tags for sensitive data
•  Handle timeouts - Implement retry logic
•  Parse responses - Validate JSON/XML structure
•  Log errors - Track failed requests
•  Test thoroughly - Verify all scenarios
•  Document APIs - Clear descriptions

Troubleshooting

Connection failed:

• Verify URL accessibility
• Check network/firewall
• Confirm authentication
• Review proxy settings

Invalid response:

• Check encoding format
• Validate JSON/XML syntax
• Verify content-type header
• Review API documentation

Authentication errors:

• Confirm credentials
• Check token expiration
• Verify header format
• Review API permissions

Performance issues:

• Implement caching
• Reduce request frequency
• Optimize payload size
• Use async methods

In this section...

Creating a WebData Object

You can create, modify, or delete data entries according to your solution requirements.

1. Go to Reports / WebData.
2. Click the "Add" button to create a new WebData and fill in the following columns:

*(Columns displayed by default on the DataGrid)

WebData Requests

GET

WebData allows executing GET requests to retrieve data from the configured WebData object. To perform a GET request, use the GetRequestAsync method of the WebData object. This method sends a request to the API endpoint and returns the response.

There are some ways to store the response of the GET request:

POST

WebData allows executing POST requests using PostRequestAsync method of the WebData object and the request body must be implemented directly in the WebData Editor. This ensures that the correct data structure is sent to the API.

The response is stored in a JSON or Text tag assigned in the headers with the key "ResponseTag".

Edit WebData Content

The built-in WebData Editor allows you to define the data structure for JSON,  XML, HTML or Text content. 

→ Learn more at Reports WebData Editor.

In this section: