- From: Janet Daly <janet@w3.org>
- Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 07:02:13 -0700
- To: w3c-news <w3c-news@w3.org>
Today the W3C issues SOAP Version 1.2 as a full W3C Recommendation,
resolving over 400 technical and editorial issues, and ensuring an open
and extensible foundation for Web Services.
"Web services customers and developers alike demand an XML-based Web
services protocol that powers the full range of applications and Web
technologies they can imagine using,"explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C
Director. "Now that SOAP Version 1.2 is here, they have it."
For more information, including contacts with implementors, please
contact Janet Daly, W3C Head of Communications, at +1 617 253 5884
<janet@w3.org>, or use the contacts at the end of this email.
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World Wide Web Consortium Issues SOAP Version 1.2 as a W3C Recommendation
W3C XML Protocol Working Group Delivers Essential Component for Web Services
Web Resources:
This press release (hypertext version)
in English
http://www.w3.org/2003/06/soap12-pressrelease.html.en
in French
http://www.w3.org/2003/06/soap12-pressrelease.html.fr
in japanese
http://www.w3.org/2003/06/soap12-pressrelease.html.ja
Testimonials from BEA Systems, IBM, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle
Corporation, SeeBeyond, SunMicrosystems, Systinet Corporation,
webMethods Inc., and WS-I (text included in this email):
http://www.w3.org/2003/06/soap12-testimonial
Frequently Asked Questions on SOAP Version 1.2
http://www.w3.org/2003/06/soap12faq.html
The SOAP Version 1.2 Documents
Part 0: Primer
http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/REC-soap12-part0-20030624/
Part 1: Messaging Framework
http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/REC-soap12-part1-20030624/
Part 2: Adjuncts
http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/REC-soap12-part2-20030624/
Specification Assertions and Test Collection
http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/REC-soap12-testcollection-20030624/
http://www.w3.org/ -- 24 June 2003 -- The World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C) today releases the SOAP Version 1.2 Recommendation, consisting of
the SOAP Version 1.2 Primer, the SOAP Version 1.2 Messaging Framework,
SOAP Version 1.2 Adjuncts, and the SOAP Version 1.2 Specification
Assertions and Test Collection. SOAP Version 1.2 is a lightweight
protocol intended for exchanging structured information in a
decentralized, distributed environment such as the Web. A W3C
Recommendation is the equivalent of a Web standard, indicating that this
W3C-developed specification is stable, contributes to Web
interoperability, and has been reviewed by the W3C Membership, who favor
its adoption by the industry.
"Web services make good on the promise of interoperable applications
only when the technical foundations are shared, robust, and achieve
expected performance," explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director. "Today,
W3C Members have endorsed SOAP Version 1.2, the first version of SOAP to
have undergone rigorous testing and implementation, and to support a
full complement of Web standards. Web services customers and developers
alike demand an XML-based Web services protocol that powers the full
range of applications and Web technologies they can imagine using. Now
that SOAP Version 1.2 is here, they have it."
Robust Web Services Rely on Standardized, Flexible Models for Message
Exchange
Data transport is central to modern computing in the networked,
decentralized, and distributed environment that is the Web. As XML has
emerged as the preferred format for data, the challenge is for both the
sender and the receiver to agree on an application level transfer
protocol - whether the transfer is to occur between software programs,
machines, or organizations.
Since its inception in September 2000, W3C's XML Protocol Working Group
has worked on both XML Protocol Requirements and the SOAP Version 1.2
specification, using the W3C Note SOAP 1.1 as a starting point. Now that
the Working Group produced multiple drafts, received significant
feedback from developers, identified interoperable implementations, and
received comprehensive review from the W3C Membership, SOAP Version 1.2
is ready for widespread deployment.
SOAP Version 1.2 Provides Stable Support for W3C Recommendations,
Refined Processing Model
The XML Protocol Working Group has the goal of developing technologies
which enable two or more peers to communicate in a distributed
environment, using XML as the encapsulation language. Their solution
allows a layered architecture on top of a simple and extensible
messaging format, which provides robustness, simplicity, reusability and
interoperability.
An introduction for users such as application designers, the Primer is
an easily understandable tutorial that describes the features of SOAP
Version 1.2 through examples and links to the specification. The SOAP
Version 1.2 specification provides a framework for XML-based messaging
systems in two parts, the Messaging Framework and Adjuncts:
SOAP Version 1.2 Messaging Framework provides a processing model (the
rules for processing a SOAP message), an extensibility framework
(enabling developers to use extensions inside and outside the SOAP
envelope), the message construct (the rules for constructing SOAP
messages), and the protocol binding framework (the rules for specifying
the exchange of SOAP messages over underlying protocols such as HTTP).
SOAP Version 1.2 Adjuncts completes the specification. It includes rules
for representing remote procedure calls (RPCs), for encoding SOAP
messages, for describing SOAP features and SOAP bindings. It also
provides a standard binding of SOAP to HTTP (Hypertext Transfer
Protocol), allowing SOAP messages to be exchanged using the mechanisms
of the World Wide Web.
Intended to help implementers write SOAP processors, the Specification
Assertions and Test Collection provide a set of tests drawn from the
assertions found in the Messaging Framework and Adjuncts. These tests
show whether the assertions are implemented in a SOAP processor, and are
designed to foster interoperability between different SOAP Version 1.2
implementations.
In addition to fulfilling requirements spelled out in the Working Group
charter, SOAP Version 1.2 integrates core XML technologies. SOAP Version
1.2 is designed to work seamlessly with W3C XML schemas, maximizing
SOAP's utility with a broad range of XML tools, and paving the way for
future work on the Web Services Description Language (WSDL). It also
makes use of Namespaces in XML as a flexible and lightweight mechanism
for handling XML language mixing.
SOAP Version 1.2 describes a refined processing model, thus removing
ambiguities found in SOAP 1.1. SOAP Version 1.2 includes improved error
messages that will help developers to write better applications.
SOAP Version 1.2 Implementations Successful, Already in Product
After its Candidate Recommendation period, the W3C XML Protocol Working
Group tracked seven SOAP Version 1.2 implementations from W3C Member
organizations and independent developers to ensure the viability and
interoperability of implementations based on the specification. The
Working Group previously identified and resolved over 400 technical and
editorial issues raised in public review of SOAP 1.1 and the resulting
SOAP Version 1.2.
Current participants in the Working Group include industry and
technology leaders: AT&T; BEA Systems; Canon; DaimlerChrysler Research
and Technology; Ericsson; Fujitsu Limited; IBM; IONA Technologies;
Macromedia; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.; Microsoft
Corporation; Oracle Corporation; SAP AG; SeeBeyond; Software AG; Sun
Microsystems; and Systinet.
Developer communities outside of the W3C Membership and other
organizations with related interests have provided valuable input to the
creation of SOAP Version 1.2. Many W3C Members have issued testimonials,
with commitments to current or future implementations of SOAP Version 1.2.
Testimonials in support of SOAP Version 1.2
W3C
Testimonials for W3C's SOAP 1.2 Recommendation
BEA Systems | IBM | Microsoft Corporation | Oracle Corporation |
SeeBeyond | SunMicrosystems | Systinet Corporation | webMethods Inc. | WS-I
BEA is very pleased to see SOAP 1.2 become a W3C Recommendation. SOAP
1.2 provides a key specification for building Web services. The
technical improvements, as well as the Royalty-Free status, will foster
faster adoption of Web services in the IT industry. BEA continues to
support the standardization of Web services specifications in a
Royalty-Free manner, and the W3C as an essential forum of such
foundational work. BEA Systems, a leader in standards, supports SOAP 1.2
in our WebLogic Platform.
-- Ed Cobb, Vice President of Standards and Architecture, BEA Systems
SOAP is the foundation technology for Web services and a critical
component of the emerging technical infrastructures of Grid and IBM's
e-Business On Demand computing initiative. IBM continues to be
instrumental in driving SOAP to become a platform and language-neutral
mechanism for application integration suitable for widespread
deployment, and in developing the SOAP 1.2 specification at W3C. IBM is
committed to the development of open standards for Web services and
their incorporation into our products, thus ensuring the
interoperability and viability of solutions for our customers, and we
are pleased to endorse SOAP 1.2 as a W3C Recommendation.
-- Karla Norsworthy, Director of Dynamic e-business Technologies, IBM
Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp., DevelopMentor Inc., Lotus Development Corp.
and UserLand Software Inc. submitted SOAP version 1.1 to W3C in 2000 to
kick-start the standards and design work for Web services. The W3C SOAP
version 1.2 recommendation is a milestone in the evolution of the Web
services architecture. SOAP version 1.2 builds on the initial
specification's early success and widespread adoption, while bringing
significant technical benefits to applications developers. Having
provided product support and co-authors for all SOAP versions, Microsoft
will continue that support with SOAP version 1.2, infusing the
specification across products and services, including the next versions
of .NET Framework and Microsoft Visual Studio development system, with
the goal of interoperability across heterogeneous environments.
-- Steven VanRoekel, Director of Web Services, Microsoft Corporation
As a major contributor to the XML Protocol Working Group, Oracle is
pleased to endorse the W3C SOAP 1.2 Recommendation. This standard
represents a significant step toward industry-wide interoperability of
Web services and further demonstrates the importance of the W3C's open,
consensus-driven process and rigorous public review. Oracle will be
fully supporting SOAP 1.2 across all of its products, including Oracle9i
Application Server, Oracle9i Database, Oracle9i JDeveloper, and Oracle
E-Business Suite, and encourages customers and other vendors to quickly
adopt this important standard.
-- Don Deutsch, Vice President of Standards Strategy and Architecture,
Oracle Corporation
Enabling a services-oriented architecture (SOA) based on Web Services
requires a strong commitment to global standards, such as SOAP Version
1.2. Our participation in the W3C's XML Protocol Working Group and
support for SOAP in the SeeBeyond® Integrated Composite Application
Network (SeeBeyond ICAN) Suite are demonstrations of our commitment to
the evolution of Web Services.
-- Alan Davies, Vice President of Standards, SeeBeyond
As a long-time supporter of standards-based solutions and their value to
customers in containing costs and enabling vendor choice, Sun applauds
the W3C in moving SOAP 1.2 to final standardization. SOAP 1.2's
improvements for distributed XML-based messaging is an important point
of progress for the industry, and customers can expect to see Java
platform and Sun ONE product support for this latest version of SOAP in
the near future.
-- Connie Weiss, Director of Web Technologies and Standards, Sun
Microsystems, Inc.
The SOAP 1.2 specification is a major step forward in providing robust
standards that will further the adoption of Web services. Systinet
provided a reference implementation for SOAP 1.2, and we are pleased to
be involved in this important effort.
-- Roman Stanek, CEO, Systinet Corporation
webMethods has long been a leader of industry standards. Consequently,
we are extremely pleased to have not only contributed to the development
of the SOAP 1.2 standard, but also to also see it approved as a
Recommendation. With more than 400 issues resolved, we believe SOAP 1.2
will help increase the adoption rate of Web Services. Before businesses
can be comfortable deploying Web services throughout their
organizations, they need to know that these deployments will be viable
and interoperable. SOAP 1.2 goes a long way towards meeting these needs.
webMethods is looking forward to supporting SOAP 1.2 within the
webMethods Integration Platform, as this standard is a key component to
our customers’ Web Services-based integration strategy.
-- Andy Astor, Vice President of Enterprise Web Services, webMethods, Inc.
WS-I is pleased to see the release of the SOAP 1.2 Recommendation from
the W3C. This is a valuable step forward for the popular SOAP
specification, and we expect there will be broad industry adoption. WS-I
remains committed to supporting industry-wide collaboration in the
creation of open and interoperable standards. As SOAP 1.2 is put into
service, WS-I will consider incorporating the specification into a
future version of the Basic Profile and will respond as neccessary if
interoperability issues are identified.
-- Tom Glover, Chairman, WS-I
Contact America --
Janet Daly, <janet@w3.org>, +1.617.253.5884 or +1.617.253.2613
Contact Europe --
Marie-Claire Forgue, <mcf@w3.org>, +33.492.38.75.94
Contact Asia --
Saeko Takeuchi <saeko@w3.org>, +81.466.49.1170
About the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C]
The W3C was created to lead the Web to its full potential by developing
common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its
interoperability. It is an international industry consortium jointly run
by the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (MIT LCS) in the USA, the
European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM)
headquartered in France, and Keio University in Japan. Services provided
by the Consortium include: a repository of information about the World
Wide Web for developers and users, and various prototype and sample
applications to demonstrate use of new technology. To date, over 400
organizations are Members of the Consortium. For more information see
http://www.w3.org/
Received on Tuesday, 24 June 2003 10:02:00 UTC