3.2.1. The basic knowledge you should have ¶

Before continuing, you need to have a basic understanding of the following knowledge:

• XML

• XML Namespace

If you want to learn these projects first, please visit our XML tutorial.

3.2.2. What is SOAP? ¶

• SOAP refers to simple object access protocol

• SOAP is a communication protocol.

• SOAP is used for communication between applications

• SOAP is a format for sending messages

• SOAP is designed to communicate over the Internet

• SOAP is platform independent

• SOAP is language independent

• SOAP is based on XML

• SOAP is simple and extensible

• SOAP allows you to bypass the firewall

• SOAP will be developed as a W3C standard

3.2.3. Why use SOAP? ¶

For application development, it is important to enable Internet communication between programs.

Current applications communicate between objects such as DCOM and CORBA by using remote procedure calls (RPC), but HTTP is not designed for this. RPC creates compatibility and security issues; firewalls and proxy servers usually block such traffic.

Communicating between applications through HTTP is a better way, because HTTP is supported by all Internet browsers and servers. SOAP was created to accomplish this task.

SOAP provides a standard way for applications running on different operating systems and using different technologies and programming languages to communicate with each other.

3.2.4. Microsoft and SOAP ¶

SOAP is Microsoft .net key elements of the architecture for future Internet application development.

3.2.5. SOAP 1.1 is submitted to the W3C ¶

In May 2000, UserLand, Ariba, Commerce One, Compaq, Developmentor, HP, IBM, IONA, Lotus, Microsoft and SAP submitted the SOAP Internet Protocol to the W3C. These companies expect this protocol to revolutionize application development by connecting graphical user interface desktop applications to powerful Internet servers using Internet standards (HTTP and XML).

3.2.6. W3C is developing SOAP 1.2 ¶

The first public working draft on SOAP was released by the W3C in December 2001. To read more about SOAP activities at the W3C, please visit our W3C tutorial.