Map the PictureURL field in user profile via webservice/webpage by

[Brian]

I currently have available to me a webservice and a webpage that require an
input parameter (EmployeeNumber) and in return returns a picture. That's the
good news.

The bad news is I haven't been able to get either source material connected
properly to the PictureURL field in the User Profile property mapping. I
tried using BDCMetaMan to create the appropriate ADF to no success, since it
wants the Finder, SpecificFinder and IDEnumerator options available. In this
case the GetURL method from the webservice is the only method, and would be
considered a SpecificFinder?

When I import the following ADF it complains about no specificfinder to
create a profile page as a warning, but imports OK.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>

<LobSystem xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/03/BusinessDataCatalog
BDCMetadata.xsd" Type="WebService" Version="1.0.0.1"
Name="SecurityPictureService"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/03/BusinessDataCatalog">

<Properties>

<Property Name="WsdlFetchUrl"
Type="System.String">http://webservices.company.com/EmpPicViewer/GetImageURL.asmx?wsdl</Property>

<Property Name="WebServiceProxyNamespace"
Type="System.String">BDC</Property>

</Properties>

<LobSystemInstances>

<LobSystemInstance Name="SecurityPictureService_Instance">

<Properties>

<Property Name="LobSystemName"
Type="System.String">SecurityPictureService</Property>

<Property Name="WebServiceAuthenticationMode"
Type="Microsoft.Office.Server.ApplicationRegistry.SystemSpecific.WebService.HttpAuthenticationMode">PassThrough</Property>

</Properties>

</LobSystemInstance>

</LobSystemInstances>

<Entities>

<Entity EstimatedInstanceCount="10000" Name="DevSecurityPictureService">

<Properties>

<Property Name="DefaultAction" Type="System.String">Action0</Property>

</Properties>

<Methods>

<Method Name="GetURL">

<Parameters>

<Parameter Direction="In" Name="EmployeeNumber">

<TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib,
Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"
Name="EmployeeNumber">

<Properties>

<Property Name="ShowInPicker"
Type="System.Boolean">true</Property>

</Properties>

</TypeDescriptor>

</Parameter>

<Parameter Direction="Return" Name="Return">

<TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib,
Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"
Name="Return" />

</Parameter>

</Parameters>

</Method>

</Methods>

<Actions>

<Action Position="2" IsOpenedInNewWindow="false"
Url="http://webservices.company.com/empPicViewer/Default.aspx?empNumber={0}"
ImageUrl="" Name="ProvideURL" />

</Actions>

</Entity>

</Entities>

</LobSystem>

On the action page the Add Parameter button is grayed out, so I can't select
any parameter (in this case EmployeeNumber) to associate with the {0} in the
URL.

When I try to add the import connection, it fails to find the Entity in the
search, and when I type it by hand it errors out not being able to find the
finder method.

Am I going about this the wrong way? All I want is the URL to be populated
in the PictureURL field for every user and populate the proper EmployeeNumber
at the end of the link so their picture comes up.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!