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Jon Udell writes:
Richer descriptions of messages, and tools that exploit those richer descriptions, will make life even better for "mom" -- if this extra sophistication doesn't gum up the works.
Is WSDL gum, or grease, or maybe a little of both?
Answer: WSDL is a roadmap. Both gum or grease need to actually touch the moving parts to have an affect. WSDL does neither. Look at a SOAP message and try to find the reference to the WSDL. It isn't there. Never has been. Look at the SOAP specification and try to find the reference to a WSDL. It isn't there either.
Look at a bridge. Imagine the
architectural drawings that came first and greatly influenced the
construction. Can you imagine a bridge of any significance
being built without a roadmap?
Many SOAP stacks these days come with automatic roadmap dispensers. Simply append a "?WSDL" to the URL and out pops the description of the service. Many alpha males will tell you that they don't need to ask for directions. But I suspect that these roadmap dispensers will be heavily used.