Question

Describe why WSDL document is important for creating a web service client.

Answer 1

WSDL stands for Web Services Description Language.

It the description of your webservice, it specifies how xml elements are, and the processing of it should be at one application level and is used by xml documents to communicate with other xml document at other application.

This description is required, so that client applications are able to understand what the web service actually does.

• The WSDL file contains the location of the web service and
• The methods which are exposed by the web service.

The WSDL file itself can look very complex to any user, but it contains all the necessary information that any client application would require to use the relevant web service.

One key thing to note here is that the definition of messages, which is passed by the SOAP protocol is actually defined in the WSDL document. It actually tells a client application what are the types of SOAP messages which are sent and accepted by the Web service.

In other words, the WSDL is just like a postcard which has the address of a particular location. The address provides the details of the person who delivered the postcard. Hence, in the same way, the WSDL file is the postcard, which has the address of the web service which can deliver all the functionality that the client wants.

The WSDL file itself can look very complex to any user, but it contains all the necessary information that any client application would require to use the relevant web service.