Re: Meaning of a WSDL document

So true! 

For example, I've always been under the assumption that a WSDL
document may define a service *type* and not always a service
*implementation*. Or did this capability go away in WSDL 2.0?

I agree with the requirement that a service described by a WSDL
document containing a <wsdl:service> definition must implement
everything in the description, but the text below kinda precludes the
concept of abstract definitions.

Anne


On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 15:51:55 -0500, David Booth <dbooth@w3.org> wrote:
> 
> In completion of my action item (2004-11-18: DBooth to propose text to
> clarify that a service must implement everything in its description),
> here is proposed text to add to Part 1.  I suggest adding this as a new
> section 1.2, before the existing section 1.2.
> 
> [[
> The Meaning of a WSDL Document
> 
> Conceptually, a WSDL document is a description, of a Web service, that
> indicates how potential clients are intended to interact with that
> service.  Thus, a WSDL document that describes a particular Web service
> represents an assertion that the described service fully implements and
> conforms to what the WSDL document describes.  For example, as further
> explained in section 6.1.1, if the WSDL document specifies a particular
> optional extension, the functionality implied by that extension is only
> optional to the *client*.  It MUST be supported by the Web service.
> 
> Furthermore, it should be understood that a WSDL document describes
> *potential* interaction with the service -- not *required* interaction.
> The declaration of an operation in a WSDL interface is *not* an
> assertion that the interaction described by the operation *will*
> actually occur.  Rather it is an assertion that *if* such an interaction
> is initiated, then the declared operation in the WSDL document describes
> *how* it is intended to occur.
> ]]
> 
> For many, this may seem like stating the obvious.  But it's amazing how
> often something that seems obvious to one person will not be obvious to
> another person who looks at it with different assumptions.
> 
> --
> 
> David Booth
> W3C Fellow / Hewlett-Packard
> 
>

Received on Friday, 17 December 2004 20:23:18 UTC