SOAP Playground

SOAP Learning App

Learn how SOAP envelopes, WSDL contracts, and XML payloads work using clear students and employees examples. Explore a live SOAP service, inspect the WSDL, send XML requests, and compare SOAP thinking with REST-style data work.
SOAP Route
/soap
WSDL
?wsdl
Port
3003

What you can practice

Envelope WSDL Operations XML Responses
  • Read the service contract from the WSDL
  • Send SOAP requests with a full XML envelope
  • Use typed operations for students and employees
  • See how XML response bodies are structured

Tip

Start with GetStudents or GetEmployees. Those requests have the smallest XML and make the SOAP envelope easier to recognize.

Service Overview

Live learning entities

These are the in-memory records exposed by the SOAP service.
Students
Employees

Available operations

Document-style SOAP methods in this app
Loading service metadata...
Interactive SOAP Request Runner

Build XML Request

Choose an operation and send a SOAP envelope directly to the live service.
Quick presets

SOAP Response Viewer

HTTP status, headers summary, and raw XML body.
Send a SOAP request to see the XML response...
SOAP Concepts

How SOAP works

Envelope
SOAP wraps requests and responses inside an XML envelope with optional header and required body sections.
WSDL
The Web Services Description Language file is the contract. It defines operations, message shapes, data types, and the service address.
Operation
Clients call named operations like GetStudent or CreateEmployee, not ad hoc URLs with verbs.
Strict XML
SOAP is usually stricter than REST JSON APIs. Element names, namespaces, and structure matter a lot.

SOAP vs REST

SOAP - XML envelope based - Contract-first with WSDL - Operation oriented - Strong enterprise integration history - Often used with strict schemas and WS-* standards REST - Usually JSON over HTTP - Resource oriented URLs - Lightweight and flexible - Easier for browser/mobile-first APIs - Common in modern web apps

Sample request envelope

How to learn with this app

  1. Open the WSDL and notice the contract lists operations, types, and the SOAP service address.
  2. Start in the XML Playground with GetStudents or GetEmployees.
  3. Change to GetStudent and send an id value to see a typed request and single-object response.
  4. Try CreateStudent or CreateEmployee to add data using XML instead of JSON.
  5. Use UpdateStudent or UpdateEmployee to modify records, then refresh the Overview tab.
  6. Compare the raw response XML with the contract in the WSDL to understand how SOAP stays structured.
Built for learning SOAP clearly, with a real WSDL contract and live XML requests.