Re: SOAP breaks HTTP?

Christopher Ferris wrote:
> 
> Paul,
> 
> Paul Prescod wrote:
> 
> <snip/>
> >
> > I'll repeat my challenge one more time. Can you point me to a single
> > public SOAP+HTTP service that adheres both to the web architecture
> > principles described here:
> 
> Currently, I'm unaware of any SOAP 1.2 (XMLP) based public
> services.

What has changed in the latest versions of the SOAP HTTP/RPC binding
that will improve their compatibility with the two documents I cite
below:

> >  a) http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/Axioms.html
> >
> > and the semantics of HTTP described here:
> >
> >  b) http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616.html

Is there now the capability in SOAP to choose an appropriate HTTP method
for a particular action?

> Again, what is it about the existing SOAP HTTP binding in the SOAP 1.2
> Part 2: Adjuncts specification that you claim is "broken" with
> regards to the use of the HTTP POST method as described in b)?
> It is the absence of specification for the use of HTTP GET
> (and possibly others) method? If so, please see:
>         http://www.w3.org/2000/xp/Group/xmlp-issues.html#x133

I don't see what at the URI helps me. You're just reminding me that the
working group decided not to work on the problem of how to make SOAP
work properly with HTTP?

> To be honest, I think that the binding is if anything,
> "not taking full advantage of the web", but that doesn't
> mean it is "broken".

SOAP encourages people to use the Web in ways that hurt the Web and in
fact makes it very difficult ot use the Web in ways that help it. I have
not yet seen a single web service that could not be implemented so that
it integrates better with the Web. But the creators of the service would
have to forget that they had ever heard of SOAP or thought of XML as an
RPC mechanism. They would have to go back and *understand* how the
*existing* web works: URIs, HTTP, REST, XML, XML Schema.

If you believe that there is a service out there that is richer for
using SOAP (particularly SOAP in its HTTP/RPC incarnation, but even just
SOAP in general) then please point it out to me so that I may do an
analysis. After that you can analyze for yourself whether SOAP helped
solve the problem or got in the way, and whether it strengthed the Web
infrastructure or weakened it.

 Paul Prescod

Received on Wednesday, 27 March 2002 15:01:30 UTC