http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/alternativeHTTP

HTTP GET

SOAP Envelope is returned as the result of an HTTP GET request. Parameters are encoded within the URI

Request

GET /StockQuoteService?symbol=IBM HTTP/1.1
Host: www.ibm.com
Accept: application/soap+xml
Accept-Charset: "utf-8"

Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset="utf-8"
Content-Length: nnnn

<soap:Envelope>
<soap:Header />
<soap:Body />
</soap:Envelope>

This is really no different from using HTTP GET to return HTML pages or other types of content. The parameters for the request are contained within the Request-URI, the response is a SOAP Envelope.

HTTP POST

SOAP Envelope is posted to the service. Posting indicates that the data contained within the SOAP Envelope payload must become a part of the data managed by the service. This method must be rejected if POSTing does not make sense.

Request

POST /AddressBookService HTTP/1.1
Host: www.ibm.com
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset="utf-8"
Content-Length: nnnn
<soap:Envelope>
<soap:Body>
<Listing>
<Name>James Snell</Name>
<Address>
<StreetNum />
<StreetName />
<City />
<State />
<Zip />
</Address>
</Listing>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

Response

HTTP/1.1 204 No Content

The data contained within the SOAP payload is to be posted to the data managed by the AddressBookService.

HTTP OPTIONS

Can be used to query the WSDL description of a Service.

Request

OPTIONS /DataService HTTP/1.1
Host: www.ibm.com
Accept: text/xml

Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/xml; charset="utf-8"
Content-Length: nnnn

<wsdl:description>...</wsdl:description>

HTTP INVOKE

A new HTTP method used to indicate an operation to be invoked against a Service. This replaces the use of POST in the official HTTP binding.

Request

INVOKE /StockQuoteService HTTP/1.1
Host: www.ibm.com
Accept: application/soap+xml
Accept-Charset: utf-8
Content-Type: application/soap+xml
Content-Length: nnnn

<soap:Envelope>
<soap:Body>
<abc:GetStockQuote>
<abc:symbol>IBM</abc:symbol>
</abc:GetStockQuote>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset="utf-8"
Content-Length: nnnn

<soap:Envelope>
<soap:Body>
<abc:GetStockQuoteResponse>
<abc:value>85.00</abc:value>
</abc:GetStockQuoteResponse>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

Request 2

INVOKE /DataService HTTP/1.1
Host: www.ibm.com
Accept: *;q=0
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset="utf-8"
Content-Length: nnnn

<soap:Envelope>
<soap:Body>
<cds:INSERT>
<abc:SomeDataToInsert />
</cds:INSERT>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope> 

Response 2

HTTP/1.1 204 No Content

In this alternative binding, an HTTP request that contains a SOAP envelope does not require an HTTP response that contains a SOAP envelope. The envelope can contain any type of message of any content type.

Request 3

INVOKE /StockQuoteService HTTP/1.1
Host: www.ibm.com
Accept: text/plain
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset="utf-8"
Content-Length: nnnn

<soap:Envelope>
<soap:Body>
<abc:GetQuote>
<abc:symbol>IBM</abc:symbol>
</abc:GetQuote>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

Response 3

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Length: 5

85.00

HTTP PUT

Can be used to deploy new services

Request