SOAP
Full Name
Simple Object Access Protocol - SOAP
Description
SOAP (see below for name and origins) is a protocol for exchanging XML-based messages over computer networks, normally using HTTP/HTTPS. SOAP forms the foundation layer of the Web services stack, providing a basic messaging framework that more abstract layers can build on.
There are several different types of messaging patterns in SOAP, but by far the most common is the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) pattern, in which one network node (the client) sends a request message to another node (the server), and the server immediately sends a response message to the client. SOAP is the successor of XML-RPC, though it borrows its transport and interaction neutrality and the envelope/header/body from elsewhere, probably from WDDX
Related Links
- Wikipedia entry on SOAP
- SOAP Tutorial
- SOAP Specifications
- SOAPUI.org web site
- SOAPWare.org web site
- Apache XML implementation
- SOAP Tools and Implementations
Python Tools
A number of implementations have emerged in the last few years. The most supported one seems to be the Zolera SOAP Infrastructure package - which includes SOAP.py