Header Blocks

In reading the SOAP Version 1.2 Part0: Primer section 2.2 I am not clear about the statements concerning "must process."

Paragraph 6 says:
"Every SOAP processor receiving a message with a header block that has an actor attribute of "next" must process the contents of the element, as this is a standardized role that every SOAP processor must be willing to assume. "

To me that implies a "mustUnderstand" attribute otherwise there needs to be clarification about what "understand" is and what "process" is.

I suppose the following paragraph from suction 1.1 is meant as clarification.

"The header blocks reservation and passenger may be processed by any SOAP intermediaries encountered in the message path as well as the ultimate destination of the message. The fact that it is targeted at the next SOAP node encountered en route is indicated by the presence of the attribute actor with value "next", which is a role that all SOAP nodes must be willing to play, while the presence of the mustUnderstand attribute with value "true" indicates that the nodes in question must act upon the information in a manner consistent with the specifications of these header blocks. Such specifications are not a part of SOAP."

What this seems to say to me is that if "mustUnderstand" is not present then "the node is free to act upon the information in a manner NOT consistent with the specification of these header blocks."

Because all nodes much "process" such a block when would we want to allow them to process it in a manner "inconsistent with the specification?"

Matthew Jones
mjones@netsilicon.com

Received on Saturday, 5 January 2002 18:53:17 UTC