This is a library for adding to .Net applications to handle the creation and processing of files for the Government's Charities Online service, in order to make claims for Gift Aid.
GAIL is a Windows class library which provides a set of methods for:
- Creating Government Gateway submission files
- Submitting files to the Government Gateway
- Reading and responding to messages from the Government Gateway.
It consists of:
- HMRC service classes – a representation of the government XML schema in object oriented form
- Two classes which create and read files
- A dispatcher class which handles sending files
- A controller class which allows you to control the above
Environment needed to run it:
- Windows
- Any version that has .Net framework 4.0 or higher installed
To use the tool you would normally call controller methods to undertake whatever action you want to perform. So, for example, the simplest thing would be to create a submission file from a data set.
Git clone the repo. Build in Visual Studio version 12 or higher.
A Demonstration harness is provided in CR.CO.Demo which is a console application that can be used to play around with the library, creating files and reading responses. This is a good place to start in learning how to use this application.
If running in Debug mode, remember to check that the Solution startup project is set to CR.CO.Demo.
Once the project is built make sure you have a sample data file in the location specified under the TempFolder App Setting in app.config. Then you can run the executable, or step-into the code (e.g. F10 in Visual Studio).
In the Sample Data folder there is a sample csv file (sample2.csv) and an example of the XML file that should be produced by running the Demo console against this file - example output
See the Technical Guidance for detailed instructions on use.