How to: Use the SubCode Property to Capture Error Codes

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010

Excel Services generates errors in the SOAP exception based on errors that occur in Excel Services. To make it easier for the developer to catch specific error conditions, an Excel Calculation Services alert has an associated error code. The Excel Web Services then returns the error using properties from the SoapException class.

The following examples show how to capture the error codes using the SubCode property (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.services.protocols.soapexception.subcode.aspx) of the SoapException class.

For a list of error codes, see Excel Services Error Codes.

To capture error codes when using SOAP

1. After adding a Web reference to the Excel Web Services, add the following using directive so that you can use the SoapException class without having to qualify it with a full namespace:

   using System.Web.Services.Protocols;
   

   Imports System.Web.Services.Protocols
   

2. To capture the Excel Services error codes using the SubCode property, you must use the SOAP12 protocol version. After instantiating the Excel Web Services proxy class, set the SOAP protocol version as follows:

   // Instantiate the Web service. 
    ExcelService xlservice = new ExcelService();
   
   // Set the SOAP protocol version.           
   xlservice.SoapVersion = SoapProtocolVersion.Soap12;
   

   ' Instantiate the Web service. 
    Dim xlservice As New ExcelService()
   
   ' Set the SOAP protocol version.           
   xlservice.SoapVersion = SoapProtocolVersion.Soap12
   

3. To catch the error codes using the SubCode property, add a SOAP exception catch block to your code, for example:

   catch (SoapException e)
   {
       Console.WriteLine("SOAP Exception Message: {0}", e.Message);
       Console.WriteLine("SOAP Exception Error Code: {0}", 
           e.SubCode.Code.Name);
   }
   

   Catch e As SoapException
       Console.WriteLine("SOAP Exception Message: {0}", e.Message)
       Console.WriteLine("SOAP Exception Error Code: {0}", e.SubCode.Code.Name)
   End Try
   

To capture error codes when using direct linking

1. In the direct linking scenario, you won't need to add a Web reference to the Excel Web Services. However, you will need to add a reference to System.Web.Services namespace.

2. After you add a reference, add the following using directive to your code so that you can use the SoapException class without having to qualify it with a full namespace:

   using System.Web.Services.Protocols;
   

   Imports System.Web.Services.Protocols
   

3. Unlike using SOAP over HTTP, in the direct linking scenario, you won't need to set the SOAP protocol version.

4. To catch the error codes using the SubCode property, add a SOAP exception catch block to your code, for example:

   catch (SoapException e)
   {
       Console.WriteLine("SOAP Exception Message: {0}", e.Message);
       Console.WriteLine("SOAP Exception Error Code: {0}", 
           e.SubCode.Code.Name);
   }
   

   Catch e As SoapException
       Console.WriteLine("SOAP Exception Message: {0}", e.Message)
       Console.WriteLine("SOAP Exception Error Code: {0}", e.SubCode.Code.Name)
   End Try
   

Example

The following program (a console application) uses the SubCode property to capture the error codes. The program takes different actions based on the error code that is caught. You can, for example, intentionally pass in a nonexistent sheet name to trigger a SOAP exception. In this case, the following SOAP exception message is returned:

The sheet that was requested could not be found. Please try a different one.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Web.Services.Protocols;
using System.Threading;
using SubCodeExample;

namespace SubCodeExample
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            if (args.Length != 3)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("This program requires 3 parameters - 
                    workbook, sheet and cell");
            }
            string workbookUrl = args[0];
            string sheetName = args[1];
            string cellRange = args[2];

            const string DataRefreshError = 
                "ExternalDataRefreshFailed";
            const string InvalidSheetNameError = "InvalidSheetName";
            const string FileOpenNotFound = "FileOpenNotFound";

            string sessionId = null;
            MyXlServices.ExcelService service = null;
            try
            {
                MyXlServices.Status[] status;
                service = new 
                    SubCodeExample.MyXlServices.ExcelService();
                service.SoapVersion = SoapProtocolVersion.Soap12;
                service.Credentials = 
                    System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials;
                sessionId = service.OpenWorkbook(workbookUrl, "", "", 
                    out status);

                object result = service.GetCellA1(sessionId, sheetName, 
                    cellRange, true, out status);
                Console.WriteLine("GetCell result was:{0}", result);

                int retries = 3;
                while (retries > 0)
                {
                    try
                    {
                        service.Refresh(sessionId, "");
                    }
                    catch (SoapException soapException)
                    {
                        bool rethrow = true;
                        if (soapException.SubCode.Code.Name == 
                            DataRefreshError)
                        {
                            if (retries > 1)
                            {
                                Console.WriteLine("Error when 
                                    refreshing. Retrying...");
                                Thread.Sleep(5000);
                                rethrow = false;
                            }
                        }
                        if (rethrow) throw;
                    }
                    retries--;
                }
                
            }
            catch (SoapException exception)
            {
                string subCode = exception.SubCode.Code.Name;
                if (subCode == FileOpenNotFound)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("The workbook could not be found. 
                        Change the first argument to be 
                        a valid file name.");
                }
                else if (subCode == DataRefreshError)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Could not refresh 
                        the workbook.");
                }
                else if (subCode == InvalidSheetNameError)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("The sheet that was requested 
                        could not be found. Please try 
                        a different one.");
                }
                else
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Unknown error code returned from 
                        Excel Services:{0}", subCode);
                }
            }
            
            catch (Exception)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Unknown exception was raised.");
            }
            finally
            {
                if (service != null && 
                    !String.IsNullOrEmpty(sessionId))
                {
                    try
                    {
                        service.CloseWorkbook(sessionId);
                    }
                    catch
                    {
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Web.Services.Protocols
Imports System.Threading
Imports SubCodeExample

Namespace SubCodeExample
    Friend Class Program
        Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)
            If args.Length <> 3 Then
                Console.WriteLine("This program requires 3 parameters - workbook, sheet and cell")
            End If
            Dim workbookUrl As String = args(0)
            Dim sheetName As String = args(1)
            Dim cellRange As String = args(2)

            Const DataRefreshError As String = "ExternalDataRefreshFailed"
            Const InvalidSheetNameError As String = "InvalidSheetName"
            Const FileOpenNotFound As String = "FileOpenNotFound"

            Dim sessionId As String = Nothing
            Dim service As MyXlServices.ExcelService = Nothing
            Try
                Dim status() As MyXlServices.Status
                service = New SubCodeExample.MyXlServices.ExcelService()
                service.SoapVersion = SoapProtocolVersion.Soap12
                service.Credentials = System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials
                sessionId = service.OpenWorkbook(workbookUrl, "", "", status)

                Dim result As Object = service.GetCellA1(sessionId, sheetName, cellRange, True, status)
                Console.WriteLine("GetCell result was:{0}", result)

                Dim retries As Integer = 3
                Do While retries > 0
                    Try
                        service.Refresh(sessionId, "")
                    Catch soapException As SoapException
                        Dim rethrow As Boolean = True
                        If soapException.SubCode.Code.Name = DataRefreshError Then
                            If retries > 1 Then
                                Console.WriteLine("Error when refreshing. Retrying...")
                                Thread.Sleep(5000)
                                rethrow = False
                            End If
                        End If
                        If rethrow Then
                            Throw
                        End If
                    End Try
                    retries -= 1
                Loop

            Catch exception As SoapException
                Dim subCode As String = exception.SubCode.Code.Name
                If subCode = FileOpenNotFound Then
                    Console.WriteLine("The workbook could not be found. Change the first argument to be a valid file name.")
                ElseIf subCode = DataRefreshError Then
                    Console.WriteLine("Could not refresh the workbook.")
                ElseIf subCode = InvalidSheetNameError Then
                    Console.WriteLine("The sheet that was requested could not be found. Please try a different one.")
                Else
                    Console.WriteLine("Unknown error code returned from Excel Services:{0}", subCode)
                End If

            Catch e1 As Exception
                Console.WriteLine("Unknown exception was raised.")
            Finally
                If service IsNot Nothing AndAlso (Not String.IsNullOrEmpty(sessionId)) Then
                    Try
                        service.CloseWorkbook(sessionId)
                    Catch
                    End Try
                End If
            End Try
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Robust Programming

Make sure that you add a Web reference to an Excel Web Services site that you have access to. Change the using SubCodeExample; statement to point to the Web service site that you are referencing.

In addition, make changes to the workbook path, sheet name, and so on, as appropriate.

See Also

Tasks

Walkthrough: Developing a Custom Application Using Excel Web Services

How to: Catch Exceptions

How to: Trust a Location

How to: Save from Excel Client to the Server

Concepts

Accessing the SOAP API

Excel Services Alerts

Excel Services Known Issues and Tips

Loop-Back SOAP Calls and Direct Linking