WSDLdescribed

WSDLdescribed is an adjective referring to a software service, interface, or message exchange that is described by a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) document. A WSDLdescribed service provides machine-readable metadata about its available operations, input and output messages, data types, and how the service is bound to a protocol and endpoint. The WSDL document acts as a contract between service provider and client, enabling automatic generation of client stubs, runtime negotiation, and dynamic discovery.

A WSDL describes several concepts: types (data definitions, typically XML Schema); messages (abstract definitions of data exchanged); port types or interfaces (collections of operations); bindings (concrete protocol and data format for operations); and services (one or more endpoints with associated ports).

WSDLdescribed services are commonly used for SOAP-based web services over HTTP or HTTPS, though WSDL can be extended to describe other binding styles. Clients use the WSDL to determine how to construct requests, what parameters are required, and how responses will be formatted. Tools can generate client stubs, servers, and proxies from a WSDL document, simplifying integration.

WSDL versions include WSDL 1.1 and WSDL 2.0, with the latter introducing clarifications and alternate binding styles. Despite changes, many legacy services rely on 1.1. WSDLdescribed interfaces are part of broader Web Services descriptions and are often used in conjunction with standards such as SOAP, WS-Policy, and WS-Addressing.