The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has announced the publication of initial working draft specifications for Web Services Description Language (WSDL) Version 1.2 and Web Services Description Language (WSDL) Version 1.2: Bindings. WSDL is "an XML format for describing network services as a set of endpoints operating on messages containing either document-oriented or procedure-oriented information." The primary document "defines the core language which can be used to describe Web services based on an abstract model of what the service offers; the WSDL Version 1.2 Bindings document describes how to use WSDL in conjunction with the SOAP 1.2 Messaging Framework, HTTP/1.1 GET/POST, and MIME (IETF RFC 2045)." These WSDL v1.2 specifications are part of the W3C Web Services Activity which "currently consists of three Royalty-Free Working Groups whose focus is to develop an open, interoperable and extensible model for Web Services, as well as critical components, such as an XML-based protocol for data to be exchanged and processed by applications, and technologies for providing descriptions of Web Services." WSDL Version 1.2 provides a new conceptual framework approach to define the description components, language clarifications, support for W3C XML Schemas and the XML Information Set, better definition of bindings, and clarified process/technical requirements consistent with W3C's mandate for royalty-free technologies.

Bibliographic information:

• Web Services Description Language (WSDL) Version 1.2. W3C Working Draft 9-July-2002. Version URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/WD-wsdl12-20020709. Latest version: http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl12. Edited by Roberto Chinnici (Sun Microsystems), Martin Gudgin (Microsoft), Jean-Jacques Moreau (Canon), and Sanjiva Weerawarana [lead] (IBM Research).

• Web Services Description Language (WSDL) Version 1.2: Bindings. W3C Working Draft 9-July-2002. Version URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/WD-wsdl12-bindings-20020709. Latest version URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl12-bindings. Edited by Jean-Jacques Moreau (Canon) and Jeffrey Schlimmer (Microsoft).

Version 1.2 enhancements. "WSDL 1.2 provides improvements over WSDL 1.1 in distinct ways"

• WSDL 1.2 includes language clarifications, which makes it easier for developers to understand and use.
• WSDL 1.2 provides support for W3C Recommendations, including XML Schemas and XML Information Set.
• WSDL 1.2 adopts a conceptual framework approach to define the description components, which makes them simpler and more flexible.
• WSDL 1.2 removes unnecessary and non-interoperable features from WSDL 1.1.
• WSDL 1.2 provides a better definition for the HTTP 1.1 binding and will soon provide a binding for SOAP 1.2 , which allows description of services using the most current version of SOAP.