SOAP or Simple Object Access Protocol, translated into Portuguese as Simple Object Access Protocol, is a protocol based on XML that is used to access Web Services mainly via HTTP.
It can be said that SOAP is a definition of how Web Services communicate or should communicate. SOAP was developed to facilitate integration between applications.
SOAP, in addition to being a definition, is an architecture, because it dictates the rules for how messages should be exchanged.
Benefits
- It allows integrations between applications regardless of language, as it uses XML as a common language.
- It is platform and software independent.
- Generic transport medium, that is, it can be used by protocols other than HTTP.
SOAP is a protocol, and it can run on top of other protocols such as HTTP and SMTP.
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Glossary
HTTP – Hypertext Transfer Protocol
SMTP – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol
XML – Extensible Markup Language
