Tips for Users:
-
If you know the WSDL file, you
can setup a quick link to the client forms using
http://www.soapclient.com/soapclient?template=/clientform.html&fn=soapform
&SoapTemplate=none&SoapWSDL=Your_WSDL_File
or
http://www.soapclient.com/soapTest.html?SoapWSDL=Your_WSDL_File
-
The server caches WSDL files in
normal operations to improve performance. If you make any
changes to a WSDL file, select the No
checkbox.
Tips for Developers:
-
Use <documentation>
whenever possible in your WSDL file to provide instructions.
It will be displayed in the client form.
-
Use enumeration type if an
element has fix number of values. They will be displayed as
dropdown boxes.
Key Features:
-
Support both 1999 and 2001 XML schema. The
tool uses the schema defined in the WSDL file for constructing SOAP
requests.
-
Support array and array of structs. Only
single dimensional arrays are supported. Sorry, no sparse
arrays.
-
Capable of serializing complex data types and
array of complex data types, even multi-level embedded structs.
-
Handling ID/HREF in both SOAP messages and
schema definitions.
-
Support both SOAP section 5/7 and
document/literal encodings..
Technical Details -- Dynamic
Binding of SOAP Services
A binding is a contract between the client
logic and server logic. There are two types of bindings in
SOAP: Object binding (or SOAP binding) and parameter binding.
Most of the SOAP toolkits perform static object bindings by
generating client side proxy objects. The problem is that,
unlike the traditional programming module where objects/interfaces
are stable, web services are subject to change at any moment
without notice, because they are often owned/controlled by a
third party. Another problem occurs when the number of web
services to be accessed increases, the generated source code
could quickly becomes a maintenance nightmare. Finally, when the
web services to be accessed are unknown, which is more often
then likely, early binding becomes impossible, or at least
difficult. Generating a proxy object for a service to be built
in the future is an interesting research project.
The generic SOAP client demonstrates dynamic
bindings (or run-time bindings) of SOAP services and
parameters. An object is generated at execution time when WSDL
file is specified, and parameter values are associated with a
SOAP message just before delivery. The late binding (or
delayed binding) technique could greatly reduces maintenance
cost, because a single client can be used to access many web services.
The tool, written in less than 20 lines of
code with SOAP
Client Library, is a live example of how to
build generic SOAP applications using the late-binding
technique.
Other Tools:
