Combine web services into one WSDL

The ability to generate WSDL’s that describe multiple web service operations was requested 2-3 years ago, but is not yet in the product. A new web service descriptor node will be added in IS 7.1 (targeted for Summer 2007) that should address this.

Your only option (and actually not a bad one) is to use a tool such as XML Spy Enterprise Edition to create your WSDL. Other tools such as those in the Eclipse web development toolkit are also options.

Finally, a popular design and development approach for web services is called “WSDL first” in which the interface description is created before the services are coded. This allows proper emphasis on good XML schema design and good message design without undue influence by the physical implementation. After getting an early preview last year of the new web services descriptor node functionality, I requested that the design be modified to better support WSDL-first and from some slides that I saw at last year’s Integration World, I think it will be.

HTH,

Mark