Creating a custom proxy class

Instead of using the proxy generation features of Visual Studio you can create a custom proxy in .NET 3.0 to handle all of your needs in a more maintainable manor and with less code. This method works best when you have access to the interfaces that created the service.

Here is an example:

Namespace TeamFoundation.Proxies

    Public Class TeamServersClient
        Inherits System.ServiceModel.DuplexClientBase(Of Services.Contracts.ITeamServers)
        Implements RDdotNet.Proxies.IClientProxy
        Implements Services.Contracts.ITeamServers

        Public Sub New(ByVal callbackInstance As System.ServiceModel.InstanceContext, ByVal binding As System.ServiceModel.Channels.Binding, ByVal remoteAddress As System.ServiceModel.EndpointAddress)
            MyBase.New(callbackInstance, binding, remoteAddress)
        End Sub

        Public Sub AddServer(ByVal TeamServerName As String, ByVal TeamServerUri As String) Implements Services.Contracts.ITeamServers.AddServer
            MyBase.Channel.AddServer(TeamServerName, TeamServerUri)
        End Sub

        Public Function GetServers() As String() Implements Services.Contracts.ITeamServers.GetServers
            Return MyBase.Channel.GetServers
        End Function

        Public Sub RemoveServer(ByVal TeamServerName As String) Implements Services.Contracts.ITeamServers.RemoveServer
            MyBase.Channel.RemoveServer(TeamServerName)
        End Sub

        Public Function ServceUrl() As System.Uri Implements Services.Contracts.ITeamServers.ServceUrl
            Return MyBase.Channel.ServceUrl()
        End Function

    End Class

End Namespace

Because your classes implements the service’s interface when that interface changes you will be notified in Visual Studio that this has happened. This is a boon during development as changes can happen often.

This particular class is a duplex proxy, so communication can go both ways. You can download the source code for this from here.