SOAP: What is SOAP?

SOAP is an acronym for Simple Object Access Protocol.

SOAP is a very simple XML-over-HTTP wrapper for popular connective technologies, such as COM, Apple Events and CORBA. It should be possible to talk all these protocols by wiring up to SOAP.

SOAP is simple

It must be accessible to programmers and web developers working on all platforms, using all levels of programming tools. It must not be tied to any specific scripting or programming environment, or any operating system or interapplication culture.

The first word in the name of the protocol is Simple, and this is not an accident or hype.

It must be easy to document interfaces implemented in SOAP. It should suggest a standard wire documentation format, and sample code should be provided in popular scripting languages soon after the introduction of the spec.

At its simplest, a SOAP request is a procedure call with a list of parameters that returns a result.

The transport mechanism for SOAP is HTTP. A call is specified using XML.

A three-way collaboration

SOAP is a vendor-independent and cross-platform protocol being proposed by UserLand, developed in collaboration with Microsoft.

The two companies believe that the protocol can wrap each of its respective connecting technologies. It will be possible, for example, for COM to be connected to thru SOAP, both as a client and server, and UserLand is working on a new version of Frontier designed to participate in the SOAP namespace both as a client and a server.

But the larger goal is that it be able to wrap all connective technologies.

UserLand will operate a publicly accessible SOAP-compatible server for other developers to experiment with.

Closing

SOAP -- just lather up and watch the fat go down the drain!

Here's what Encarta has to say about soap.

SOAP also stands for the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia & Perinatology.

There are soap operas and soapbox derbies (and soapboxes!).

I couldn't find a good public domain picture of a bar of soap.

Whatever...

Send comments to dave@scripting.com.

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