1. SOAP : Simple Object Access Protocol

2. What is SOAP?
Protocol for information exchange between applications via Internet.
W3C web services standard.
Defines a way of passing XML-encoded data, including binary content.
Defines a way of performing remote procedure calls (RPCs).

6. Where did SOAP come from?
Coauthored by representatives of IBM, Lotus, Microsoft, DevelopMentor, and UserLand.
Later submitted to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Current SOAP development is the domain of the W3C XML Protocol Working Group

7. How does SOAP work? Implements the request/response model of HTTP
A client sends a SOAP message to a server that processes the request and responds with a SOAP message of its own.

8. What is a SOAP Message? Two required components:
Envelope - packages the data
Body - is the data.
A third, optional component:
Header - contains descriptions about the message, data, and/or processing instructions.

9. Sample SOAP Message <?xml version="1.0"?>
<SOAP-ENV:Envelope … >
<SOAP-ENV:Body>
<camera:getFeed sensor="
<beginDate> :21:00</beginDate>
<videoLength>30</videoLength>
</ camera:getFeed>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

10. What does this mean? …
<camera:getFeed sensor="
<beginDate> :21:00</beginDate>
<videoLength>30</videoLength>
</ camera:getFeed>
The observatory may have a sensor defined as ‘camera’.
‘camera’ has a method called getFeed()
getFeed() has two parameters:
beginDate: the instance in time you want the returning video file to begin
videoLength: how much video do you want to see

11. What could the response be?
<?xml version='1.0' ?>
<SOAP-ENV:Envelope …>
<SOAP-ENV:Body>
<camera:getFeed id=“104">
<position>30 degrees</position>
<direction>NNE</direction>
<timestamp>04/29/ :34:05</timestamp>
<temperature>36 degrees</temperature>
<! More metadata might go here... -->
<videoFeed
</camera:getFeed>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
--<MIME Attachment>
Content-Type: video/quicktime
Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary
Content-ID:
...Raw MOV image…

12. Why use SOAP? Platform & Language independent.
It is a W3C standard, a standard amongst the web services community, and it’s “eXstensible”
Allows for binary data attachments.
Enforce processing requirements with xml schemas written for MathML, and other data definitions.

13. Resources Gentle Introduction to SOAP
A Busy Developer's Guide to SOAP 1.1
W3C Links:
SOAP Specification(W3C)
SOAP 1.2 Attachment(W3C)