- From: <noah_mendelsohn@us.ibm.com>
- Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:48:48 -0400
- To: "Vinogradov, Roman" <rvinogr@mera.ru>
- Cc: xml-dist-app@w3.org
Roman Vinogradov writes: > I have a question regarding xml declaration in soap message: > - is xml declaration mandatory for soap message? > > The SOAP 1.1 spec states that SOAP message is encoded using XML. > The XML 1.0 spec defines that XML document SHOULD begin with an XML > declaration. SHOULD is not MUST. It's not required, just encouraged. > This is also approved in EBNF grammatics: > document ::= prolog element Misc* > prolog ::= XMLDecl? Misc* (doctypedecl Misc*)? This doesn't require it either. > On the other hand, the xml declaration line is absent in all > examples of soap message in the specification. It would be better form if it were there, but it probably would just make the specification that bit longer. It's not required. > In our case it can be a compatibility issue. Can you please help me > to interpret the specification right way? Yes. A conforming XML 1.0 parser MUST accept documents with or without the declaration. Accordingly, a conforming SOAP implementation MUST accept SOAP messages with or without the declaration. A conforming SOAP implementation may generate the prolog or may skip it. There is no requirement that a given endpoint be consistent from one message to another. All that's required is that each message be XML, and that means you can do it either way. Noah -------------------------------------- Noah Mendelsohn IBM Corporation One Rogers Street Cambridge, MA 02142 1-617-693-4036 --------------------------------------
Received on Wednesday, 12 September 2007 11:49:20 UTC