SOAP Introduction

Course recommendations:

SOAP is a simple XML-based protocol that allows applications to exchange information over HTTP.

Or, to put it more simply: SOAP is a protocol for accessing network services.

The foundational knowledge you should possess

  • Before proceeding, you should have a basic understanding of the following:
  • XML

XML NamespaceXML Tutorial》。

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  • What is SOAP?SOAP stands for
  • SOAP is a simple object access protocolcommunication protocol
  • SOAP is used forbetween applicationscommunication
  • SOAP is a protocol forsend messagesformat
  • SOAP is designed tothrough the Internetto communicate
  • SOAP platform-independent
  • SOAP language-independent
  • SOAP based on XML
  • SOAP simple and extensible
  • SOAP allows youto bypass firewalls
  • SOAP will be used as W3C StandardsTo develop

Why SOAP?

It is important for application development to enable inter-network communication between programs.

Current applications communicate between objects such as DCOM and CORBA using remote procedure calls (RPC), but HTTP was not designed for this purpose. RPC generates compatibility and security issues; firewalls and proxy servers often block such traffic.

Communicating between applications via HTTP is a better method, because HTTP is supported by all Internet browsers and servers. SOAP was created to accomplish this task.

SOAP provides a standard method that allows applications running on different operating systems and using different technologies and programming languages to communicate with each other.

Microsoft and SOAP

SOAP is a key element of Microsoft .NET architecture, used for the development of future Internet applications.

SOAP 1.1 was submitted to W3C

In May 2000, UserLand, Ariba, Commerce One, Compaq, Developmentor, HP, IBM, IONA, Lotus, Microsoft, and SAP submitted the SOAP Internet Protocol to W3C. These companies expected that this protocol could revolutionize the development of applications by connecting graphical user interface desktop applications to powerful Internet servers through the use of Internet standards (HTTP and XML).

W3C is developing SOAP 1.2

The first public working draft about SOAP was released by W3C in December 2001. For more information about W3C SOAP events, please visit ourW3C Tutorials》。