SOAP with attachments

SwA structure

SOAP with Attachments (SwA) is a W3C proposal for the transport of SOAP messages within MIME messages primarily via HTTP . SOAP with Attachments defines rules for the use of URI references, which refer from the SOAP messages to the file attachments contained in the MIME messages. The MIME multipart mechanism for the encapsulation of composite documents is used to transport the file attachments of the SOAP message.

SwA is not a specification or recommendation of the W3C, but a proposal to be able to send SOAP and MIME messages with file attachments based on the existing mechanisms. With the introduction of SOAP 1.2, SOAP 1.2 attachment feature was also defined.

Alternatives

The W3C recommendation for sending file attachments to SOAP messages, adopted in January 2005, is the SOAP Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism (MTOM). This recommendation is intended to replace SOAP with Attachments and the other common techniques for transferring binary data, such as the use of CDATA blocks, Base64 encoding and Microsoft's Direct Internet Message Encapsulation (DIME).

See also

• Direct Internet Message Encapsulation (DIME) - another suggestion
• SOAP Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism (MTOM) - Recommendation which replaces SwA
• SOAP with Attachments API for Java (SAAJ) - implementation in Java

Individual evidence

1. ^ SOAP Messages with Attachments Note of the W3C from December 11, 2000
2. ↑ SOAP 1.2 Attachment Feature of the W3C from June 8, 2004