So what do SOAP and XML-RPC buy you? (was Re: Massive Cross-Post: TheState of XML-RPC, April 2001)

[Edd Dumbill <edd@usefulinc.com>]

On Mon, Apr 16, 2001 at 11:22:44PM +0100, Matt Sergeant wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Apr 2001, XML Everywhere wrote:
> > If you have XML messaging over http, why do you need
> > anything else? 
> 
[ .. ]
> Though the final schedule isn't out yet, this is exactly the talk I'm
> giving for O'Reilly's Open Source conference (albeit actually in the
> mod_perl track). HTTP is a great applications protocol - it handles
> errors, parameter passing, multiple result sets (via MIME), return type
> negotiation, etc. I hope to open people's minds to other possibilities
> (though I don't expect many attendees!).

Great marketing, Matt.

Seriously, I'm interested in what the perceived buy is from the XML
protocols over straight XML+HTTP.  My suspicion is that the main two
reasons are the lack of perception of HTTP in this light, and the lack
of friendly enough APIs (esp. on Microsoft platforms) to enable HTTP to
be used between applications.

Sometimes you just have to reduce something in power and scope in order
to get it understood and accepted.

-- Edd