Web Service WSDL Easily Explained

In this article the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) is easily explained.

WSDL:

• Web Services Description Language.
• WSDL is an XML format for describing network services.
• In General, WSDL is an XML-based language for describing Web services and how to access them.

A WSDL document uses the following elements in the definition of network services

• Types- Used to describe the data types of messages that are exchanged.
• Message- Data being transmitted(input parameters, output result, etc).
• Operations- Methods supported by the service.
• PortType- Set of operations.
• Binding- a concrete protocol and data format specification for a particular port type.
• Port- a single endpoint for communicating with service.
• Service- a collection of related post.

WSDl XML contains :



Easy Example:

Note: Just go on reading the comments, and you will get everything in code

The example is taken from http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl and is easily explained below...

//The first line says that it is an XML file
<?xml version="1.0"?>
//Root element is <definitions>, defining your web service till </definitions>
//This list the namespaces that you are following in webservice description
<definitions name="StockQuote" targetNamespace="http://example.com/stockquote.wsdl"
          xmlns:tns="http://example.com/stockquote.wsdl"
          xmlns:xsd1="http://example.com/stockquote.xsd"
          xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/"
          xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/">
 
 
//----------------------- TYPES
    //Name the data items and their types that will
    // be passed in request and response messages
    <types>
       <schema targetNamespace="http://example.com/stockquote.xsd"
              xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/10/XMLSchema">
           <element name="TradePriceRequest">
              <complexType>
                  <all>
                //Some tickerSymbol variable of type string
                //named as TradePriceRequest
                //Here, don't know, whether input parameter or return result
                      <element name="tickerSymbol" type="string"/>
                  </all>
              </complexType>
           </element>
           <element name="TradePrice">
              <complexType>
                  <all>
                //Some price variable of type float named as TradePrice
                //Here, don't know, whether input parameter or return result
                      <element name="price" type="float"/>
                  </all>
              </complexType>
           </element>
       </schema>
    </types>

//----------------------- MESSAGES
    //Messages are all request parameters and response results
    //Here the message holds TradePriceRequest element
    //Now, what is TradePriceRequest element?
    //See, the defination in <types><element></element></types> above
    <message name="GetLastTradePriceInput">
       <part name="body" element="xsd1:TradePriceRequest"/>
    </message>
    //Here the message holds some TradePrice element
    //Now, what is TradePrice element?
    //See, the defination in <types><element></element></types> above        
    <message name="GetLastTradePriceOutput">
       <part name="body" element="xsd1:TradePrice"/>
    </message>
 
//----------------------- PORTTYPE
    //Mention the operations(methods) in webservice
    //All operations are bind to a portType
    <portType name="StockQuotePortType">
    //Here, service supports only 1 operation - GetLastTradePrice
    //Input: ticker symbol of type string
    //Output: price as a float
        <operation name="GetLastTradePrice">
               <input message="tns:GetLastTradePriceInput"/>                 
               <output message="tns:GetLastTradePriceOutput"/>
         </operation>
         //Here, you can mention second operation
         <operation name="_______">
               <input message="tns:_______"/>
               <output message="tns:_______"/>
         </operation>
         //Here, third operation and so on
     </portType>
 
//----------------------- BINDING
    //Binding is a concrete protocol and
    //data format specification for a particular port type
    <binding name="StockQuoteSoapBinding" type="tns:StockQuotePortType">
        //type of protocol used to call webservice
        <soap:binding style="document" transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/>
        <operation name="GetLastTradePrice">
           //Below lines defines the address of the operation
           <soap:operation soapAction="http://example.com/GetLastTradePrice"/>
           <input>
               <soap:body use="literal"/> //Its input
           </input>
           <output>
               <soap:body use="literal"/> //Its output
           </output>
        </operation>
    </binding>

//----------------------- SERVICE
    //A service groups a set of related ports together:
    <service name="StockQuoteService"> //unique name of service
        <documentation>My first service</documentation>
        //port specifies onw and only one address/endpoint for binding
        <port name="StockQuotePort" binding="tns:StockQuoteBinding">
           //location defines the address of your service
           <soap:address location="http://example.com/stockquote"/>
        </port>

        <port>
        </port>

        <port>
        </port>
    </service>
//-----------------------
</definitions>

//-----------------------

Happy learning....