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W3C Simultaneously Publishes SOAP and XML Protocol Abstract Model Drafts on
July 9, 2001
This July, W3C simultaneously published Working Drafts for SOAP (Version 1.2)
and the XML Protocol Abstract Model. According to the W3C, "By formally publishing these working drafts at an
early stage of the design work, W3C is ensuring that the public can follow the
development of SOAP Version 1.2 and the XML Protocol Abstract Model, and
contribute to a final result that is widely accepted and adopted."
SOAP Version 1.2 is a lightweight protocol for exchange of information in a
decentralized, distributed environment. It is an XML-based protocol that
consists of four parts:
- an envelope that defines a framework for describing what is in a message
and how to process it,
- a set of encoding rules for expressing instances of application-defined
data types,
- a convention for representing remote procedure calls and responses
and
- a binding convention for exchanging messages using an underlying protocol.
The only bindings defined in Soap Version 1.2 describe how to use SOAP in
combination with HTTP and the experimental HTTP Extension Framework.
However, it is generally accepted that SOAP has the potential to be used in
combination with a variety of other protocols.
The new W3C SOAP Working Draft is based on the SOAP/1.1 (Simple
Object Access Protocol) specification that was originally developed by
Microsoft. The following table can help you track the journey of SOAP to
the W3C:
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9/13/99
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"The key enabler for Microsoft's vision of
integrated, programmable Web services is XML. Through the exchange of
XML messages, services can easily describe their capabilities and allow
any other service, application or device on the Internet to easily
invoke those capabilities. To help realize that vision, Microsoft today
is submitting to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) an Internet
draft specification for the Simple Object Access Protocol
(SOAP), an XML-based mechanism that bridges different object models over
the Internet and provides an open mechanism for Web services to
communicate with one another." |
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5/8/2000 |
"The W3C has acknowledged receipt of a submission
request including the Simple
Object Access Protocol (SOAP) 1.1. The submission includes the text
of the SOAP 1.1 specification along with a SOAP
Envelope schema and a SOAP
Encoding schema. Reference: W3C Note 08-May-2000. By: Don Box (DevelopMentor),
David Ehnebuske (IBM), Gopal Kakivaya (Microsoft), Andrew Layman (Microsoft),
Noah Mendelsohn (Lotus Development Corp.), Henrik Frystyk Nielsen (Microsoft),
Satish Thatte (Microsoft), and Dave Winer (UserLand Software, Inc.). The
submission is from Ariba, Inc., Commerce One, Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation,
DevelopMentor, Inc., Hewlett Packard Company, International Business Machines
Corporation, IONA Technologies, Lotus Development Corporation, Microsoft
Corporation, SAP AG, and UserLand Software Inc. The co-submitters of the
specification assert that they "believe strongly in the need for
standardized protocols to support interoperable interactions with remote
Web-based services. Although there are a number of similar efforts underway,
[they] feel the W3C is well suited to co-ordinate this work and propose the formation of a new working group within the existing XML
Activity group to continue the evolution of this
proposal." |
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7/9/2001 |
"The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) today releases the first
public working drafts of SOAP
Version 1.2 and the XML
Protocol Abstract Model . By formally publishing these working drafts at an
early stage of the design work, W3C is ensuring that the public can follow the
development of SOAP Version 1.2 and the XML Protocol Abstract Model, and
contribute to a final result that is widely accepted and adopted." |
SOAP has had tremendous success as a "de facto" standard. But
now SOAP has moved into the world of W3C. So the eventual evolution of
SOAP remains to be seen. Data transport is central to the success of modern computing.
XML is clearly the preferred format for data processing on the
Web. But the challenge for the sender and the receiver to agree on a
universal transfer protocol at the
application level or layer remains. W3C's XML Protocol Activity
was formed to address
this problem. Following the development of requirements and soliciting feedback
of the broad Web community, Working Drafts for SOAP Version 1.2 and the XML Protocol Abstract
Model are the next logical step in this evolution.
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