XML API and SOAP API
OpenAir XML API and SOAP API provide programmatic access to your OpenAir account data and business processes without using the OpenAir UI. You can use the OpenAir XML API and SOAP API to perform operations and integrate OpenAir with other applications.
The XML API interfaces with the data layer in OpenAir and provides the most comprehensive programmatic access to your OpenAir data.
The SOAP API uses SOAP-based web services, and serves as a wrapper around the XML API, providing the same or similar functionality.
This guide provides a reference for using the XML API and SOAP API.
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Review API Best Practice Guidelines before you start using the XML API or SOAP API.
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Review Getting Started with the XML API and SOAP API for guidance about setting up and using the XML API and SOAP API. The section also includes information about:
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The following help topics describe specific type of operations:
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The final section gives reference information about API commands, business objects and object properties.
Key Concepts
The XML API and SOAP API are application programming interfaces (API) – a set of functions and procedures that let application developers access OpenAir functionality and data within their application. The information is exchanged across the internet in a consistent format.
The XML API and SOAP API follow the same security best practice as OpenAir. All data is encrypted in transport using the industry standard transport layer security (TLS) protocol.
XML
XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language. It was designed to store and transport information wrapped in tags. Unlike HTML, XML does not use tags that are predefined in an XML standard. The XML tags and document can be defined for the specific purpose of an application. XML is self-descriptive – each XML start tag and end tag pair provide a context for the information contained within. Each XML start tag and end tag pair and everything within these tags constitutes an XML element. XML documents are formed as element trees. An XML tree structure starts at a root element and branches from the root to child elements. All elements can have sub elements (child elements) or text content. All elements can have attributes providing information related to that element.
The XML API uses XML syntax for object information (information contained in the OpenAir records and fields), commands (operations performed on the OpenAir records and fields) or the outcome of these commands in the request sent by the client or the response returned by the API. It uses predefined tags for commands, object types and object properties, as well as attributes providing additional information related to an operation.
SOAP
SOAP stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. It is an XML-based application communication protocol for accessing web services that can be used by client applications to perform operations such as retrieving, adding, updating and deleting data from OpenAir. OpenAir SOAP web services (SOAP API) serve as a wrapper around the XML API, providing the same or similar functionality.
XSD
XSD stands for XML Schema Definition. It refers to the XML Schema language which is used to describe the structure of an XML document, including the elements and attributes that can appear in an XML document, and information related to these elements and attributes such as their data types. OpenAir provides an XML schema for each business object type supported by the XML API and SOAP API.
WSDL
WSDL stands for Web Service Description Language. A WSDL document uses an XML-based language to describe web services. OpenAir provides a generic WSDL definition and an account-specific WSDL definition. These WSDL definitions describe the SOAP API and tells the client how to compose a web service request.
For more information about WSDL, see https://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl/.
Standards Compliance
OpenAir XML API is implemented in accordance with the following specifications
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Standard Name |
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Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Fourth Edition) |
OpenAir SOAP API observes the following specifications
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Standard Name |
Website |
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Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) 1.1 |
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Web Service Description Language (WSDL) 1.1 |
HTTPS Transport – Connection to the API must be made over a secure layer using the HTTPS protocol. Ensure connections from any integration tools have supported cipher suites enabled. See TLS Protocol and Cipher Suites.