About Web Services Description Language (WSDL)

WSDL is an XML-based format for describing the interface of a Web service. WSDL describes the endpoints, location, protocol binding, operations, parameters, and data types of all aspects of a Web service:

• The WSDL file that describes a Web service has the following characteristics:

  • It is published by the service provider.

  • It is used by the client to format requests and interpret responses.

  • It can be optionally submitted to a registry or service broker to advertise a service.

• Additionally, the WSDL file describes the following:

  • The operations provided by a Web service.

  • The input and output message structures for each Web service operation.

  • The mechanism to contact the Web service.