Structured Web services
can be invoked using XML, JSON, and SOAP messages. Certain features
and functionality are available only when using a particular message
format. Here are the main differences between the three message formats:
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Input and output types. XML and SOAP messages support all stored process input and output
types including prompts, XML data sources and targets, generic data
sources and targets, data tables, output parameters, streams, and
packages. JSON messages only support simple prompt types (ones that
can be represented with a string) and output parameters.
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Endpoint addresses. The plain XML, JSON, and SOAP versions of a structured Web service
are available at three different endpoint URLs.
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Description files. Only SOAP Web services expose a WSDL file that strictly defines
the inputs and outputs and the endpoints for the Web service. You
can use this description file to create plain XML message requests
for use with the XML endpoint. JSON services donʼt have a file
that describes their input messages, but an input message can be formed
by specifying prompt name/value pairs in JSON.
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Message format. SOAP and plain XML services both use XML to convey invocation and
result information. However, namespaces might be omitted from plain
XML invocations. JSON services use the Javascript Simple Object Notation
format for messages.