S O A P - P E R L --------------------- SOAP/Perl is a collection of Perl modules which provides a simple and consistent application programming interface (API) to the Simple Object Access Protocl (SOAP). To learn more about SOAP, visit the FAQ at: This library provides tools for you to build SOAP clients and servers. The library contains modules for high-level use of SOAP, but also modules for lower-level use in case you need something a bit more customized. The library is factored so that you can SOAP/Perl uses Perl's object oriented features exclusively. There are no subroutines exported directly by these modules. This version of SOAP/Perl supports the SOAP 1.0 specification, which is an IETF internet draft. See for details. PREREQUISITES This library has been tested by the author on Perl version 5.005. Some modules within this package depend on other packages that are distributed separately from Perl. We recommend that you have the following distributions installed before you install SOAP/Perl: libwww-perl XML-Parser Specifically, if you plan on using Apache, you should also obtain: mod-perl unless you're satisfied with CGI performance. These distributions/modules should be available on CPAN. For details on which versions are recommended, please see MakeFile.PL. INSTALLATION You install SOAP/Perl as you would install any perl module library, by running these commands: perl Makefile.PL make make test make install During the "make test" phase, there is an optional test that makes a live SOAP call over HTTP to an example server running on the author's machine. If you aren't connected to the internet, you should skip this test. DOCUMENTATION See lib/SOAP.pm for an overview of the library. See Changes for recent changes. POD style documentation is included in all modules and scripts. These are normally converted to manual pages and installed as part of the "make install" process. You should also be able to use the 'perldoc' utility to extract and read documentation from the module files directly. SUPPORT Questions about how to use this library should be directed to the SOAP mailing list at . Bug reports and suggestions for improvements can also be sent here (eventually we'll have a separate list for SOAP/Perl, stay tuned). This mailing list is also the place for general discussions and development of the SOAP/Perl package and the SOAP protocol itself. Instructions for joining the mailing list can be found at the . AVAILABILITY The latest version of SOAP/Perl should always be available from: http://www.develop.com/soap The library is also available from the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN). Visit to find a CPAN site near you. COPYRIGHT © 1999-2000 DevelopMentor. All rights reserved. This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. Enjoy!