We use SOAP exclusively where I work (a multi-industry enterprise consisting of oil & gas, hospitality, ski resorts, and cattle ranches).
But then, we chose that clear back in 2001 when RESTful web services had only been published in a doctoral thesis by Roy Fielding a year earlier. So, I must admit that, when we chose SOAP, REST really wasn't a well-known or viable option. So, my experience is the opposite of yours: I have never run across a situation where SOAP/WSDL wouldn't handle the job, and so I've never seen a need to convert to a RESTful architecture. I'm not sure where you get the "quite rare" usage of SOAP. Per http://www.slideshare.net/jmusser/open-api-ecosystem-overview-december-2010 , SOAP still is used by 15% of the market. But, when you consider that the vast majority of web applications don't require the passing of sets of complex objects, it's no surprise that REST dominates. Still, for those of us who require a more strongly-typed contract with secure, reliable, atomic messaging that better supports complex nested entities, then SOAP is a better solution....in my opinion. R. Grimes ________________________________________ From: Rice Yeh [[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, December 25, 2011 11:54 AM To: [email protected] Subject: What business are using SOAP/WSDL web services? Hi, Maybe my question is not really related to CXF, but I think people here can answer my question. I have been using CXF JAXRS for 3 years and have learned SOAP and WSDL stuff for more than 5 years. However, I have never have a chance to implement a JAXWS project. For me, WSDL/SOAP applications seem quite rare. In my real world, there is no project demanding us to use them. Just wonder what business are using SOAP/WSDL web services? Rice
