Returning Plain old XML with WCF - vb.net

Question

How can this be so difficult and why? Returning simple XML with no Name Spaces and an XML decaration. Creating the XML using XML Writer is easily done and if I output it to a file then great. How on earth can you return the contents via WCF. Using an XML Element is no good as you loose the XML declaration and using a string is no good as the output is wrapped up in a <string> element. Can't return an XML Document as it can't be serialised.
I know that there are many posts on this site, but none answer the question. I am using VB.NET (boy I wish I had the time to learn C#) and I cannot get the Data Contract to work either even using IXmlSerializer. An example of the output I need to send back via WCF service is:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<BookingResponse timestamp="" success="1">
<confirmation id="" track_code="" status="" notes="" tracking_url="" confirmed_at=""/>
</BookingResponse>
Unfortunately the service I am sending to will not accept anything other than this plain XML. The will not accept additional Name Spaces that WCF seems to put in all by it's self.
I am using the Online Rest Template for VB that is available for Visual Studio 2010.
Help! Please! someone must have an answer?
Here is some code:
<WebInvoke(UriTemplate:="BookJob", Method:="POST")>
Public Function Create(ByVal XMLBooking As Stream) As Stream
'DO SOME PROCESSING ON THE REQUEST - THIS ALL WORKS FINE.....
Dim str As String
'This CreateResponseXML function creates a String version of the XML, which is built using XMLWriter.
str = CreateResponseXML(True, vConfirmationID, sqlFuncs.BookingStatus("Confirmed"), "", "")
Dim memoryStream As New MemoryStream()
Using streamWriter As New StreamWriter(memoryStream)
streamWriter.Write(str)
streamWriter.Flush()
memoryStream.Position = 0
Return memoryStream
End Using
End Function
To add to the hassel they have to use a secure connection. I am using the Online Rest Template for VB that is available for Visual Studio 2010 which cuts down the entries in the web.config significantly compared to the normal one I see everywhere. It looks like this
:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<system.web>
<compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0" />
<customErrors mode="Off"/>
</system.web>
<system.webServer>
<modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true">
<add name="UrlRoutingModule" type="System.Web.Routing.UrlRoutingModule, System.Web, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" />
</modules>
</system.webServer>
<system.serviceModel>
<behaviors>
<serviceBehaviors>
<behavior name="">
<serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="false" httpsGetEnabled="true" />
</behavior>
</serviceBehaviors>
</behaviors>
<serviceHostingEnvironment aspNetCompatibilityEnabled="true"/>
<bindings>
<webHttpBinding>
<binding transferMode="Streamed">
<security mode="Transport" />
</binding>
</webHttpBinding>
</bindings>
<standardEndpoints>
<webHttpEndpoint>
<!--
Configure the WCF REST service base address via the global.asax.vb file and the default endpoint
via the attributes on the <standardEndpoint> element below
-->
<standardEndpoint name="" helpEnabled="true" automaticFormatSelectionEnabled="true" faultExceptionEnabled="true">
<security mode="Transport" />
</standardEndpoint>
</webHttpEndpoint>
</standardEndpoints>
</system.serviceModel>
</configuration>
I tried returning a MemoryStream previous to this code, but the response they got was wrapped in a MemoryStream element and was gobbldegook (but this may have been due to the fact that I ommited the transferMode="Streamed" entry in the web.config. This version returns nothing at all.
Any Ideas?

Answer 1

Use WCFRestContrib it has POX formatter (Plain Old Xml) which is clean and without any namespaces.
The POX formatter uses the
System.Runtime.Serialization.DataContractSerializer, but unlike the
WCF REST Contrib xml formatter ([Discussed under Xml Formatter
Overview), does not serialize data contract namespaces or xml schema
attributes, it does not require namespaces to be specified in xml to
be deserialized and it does not require elements to be in a specific
order. This enables you to serve and accept very simple xml.
See POX Formatter Overview

Answer 2

Use Stream as the return value.