Re: So what do SOAP and XML-RPC buy you?

[Ken MacLeod <ken@bitsko.slc.ut.us>]

David Brownell <david-b@pacbell.net> writes:

> > The only unique* component here is that the data passed as the
> > content are represented in the calling language as
> > compound/complex objects conforming to [little-s] schemas rather
> > than streams of mime content.
> 
> That's what I'd call a marshaling API.  In this case, it'd be a
> policy-rich layer over the "stream of MIME content" style APIs that
> already exist.
> 
> The XML-over-HTTP messaging would use those stream'o'MIME calls
> directly, rather than with intervening policies for SOAP etc.

Yes, exactly.  Circling back to the point that started this thread,
the policy-rich layer is what is the "perceived buy" of XML-RPC and
SOAP, even though they are a very, very narrow scope of "XML over
HTTP" (or, "XML over any transport", in the latter case).

Broadening the scope of the what content can be "marshalled better"
(for some definition of "better" :-), and removing the implicit
messaging (or RPC) layer would be a huge win.

  -- Ken