Re: What is SOAP?

Mark Baker writes:

>> where the meaning of the message transfer is inherited from HTTP 

Not to belabor a long-running disagreement, but this is the essence of 
where we part company.  I would instead say:

    "where we take care to use HTTP in a manner appropriate to the 
message"

First the message exists, per the SOAP rules (I.e. there is an Infoset 
before we even talk about what transport to use.)  Then, we can decide 
whether HTTP is an appropriate vehicle for moving this sort of message 
(maybe it has GET semantics and we don't have a GET binding, so we don't 
use HTTP).    Then we can decide to use HTTP in the manner it's intended 
to be used (e.g. 200 for success, but not for failure.)   SOAP chapter 2 
makes clear that the meaning of the message comes for the QNames of 
elements in the envelope.   If we write our bindings carefully and use 
them well, then both levels will be in sync.  Surely that does not mean 
that SOAP inherits from HTTP.

Even with ordinary Web pages, it's not a Get because I use HTTP.  I use 
HTTP because I want to do a Get.   It's the same with SOAP. 

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Noah Mendelsohn                              Voice: 1-617-693-4036
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Received on Tuesday, 26 March 2002 22:20:58 UTC