Client for working with servers that do not follow any web service standards where you have to create a custom xml document for the request.

web_service_client.rb

#!/usr/bin/env ruby -wKU
require 'net/http'
require 'rexml/document'

server_name = 'server_name'
url = '/additional/html/pathing/'
in_file = 'input.xml'

user = {
  :name     => 'user_name',
  :password => 'basic_authentication'
}

service_calls = {
  :list_documents => 'ListDocuments.aspx',
  :get_document   => 'GetDocuments.aspx',
  :get_object     => 'GetDocuments.aspx'
}

# Load the xml file.
request = File.new in_file, 'r'

# Post the data to the server
Net::HTTP.start(server_name) do |http|
  req = Net::HTTP::Get.new("#{url}#{service_calls[:list_documents]}")
  req.basic_auth user[:name], user[:password]
  req.body = request.read
  req.content_type = 'text/xml'
  
  puts "\nrequest:\n--------\n"
  puts req.body
  
  # Read in the respons and create a dom document.
  response = http.request(req)
  doc = REXML::Document.new (response.body)
  
  puts "\nresponse:\n---------"
  doc.write($stdout,0)
  puts "\n"
end