Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)

8 Jan 2002
High time I had this together, in the context of trying to understand and summarize some of the directions of our development of the Web as a teaching and learning tool, and specifically the looming issue of how to build small-scale digital libraries for the use of groups and consortia (and potentially scaleable to fit into larger digital libraries). I first heard SOAP mentioned at the ESRI Users Conference, and doubtless lots of people here at W&L know something about it already... but I haven't heard it mentioned in my various conversations about the directions of Web development. Here are a number of sites that seem to overlap significantly in their content:
www.microsoft.com/mind/0100/soap/soap.asp
The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) defines the use of XML and HTTP to access services, objects, and servers in a platform-independent manner. SOAP is a protocol that acts as the glue between heterogeneous software components. If developer can agree on HTTP and XML, SOAP offers a mechanism for bridging competing technologies in a standard way. The main goal of SOAP is to facilitate interoperability.
www.develop.com/soap/

www.develop.com/soap/soapfaq.htm

www.w3.org/TR/SOAP/

xml.coverpages.org/soap.html

www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/soap/soapv11.html

www.vbip.com/xml/soap_syd.asp